At Any Price
by everyoneisMISunderstood
Summary: AU. Chloe's in constant danger being a politician's daughter, but when a new threat wants Chloe for her new-found powers, only fellow supernaturals can protect her.  Now Simon, Tori, and Derek must keep Chloe safe, and they will... no matter what. Chlerek
1. The Confronting

**(A/N) Well, I haven't written very much for this fandom yet, and this will be my first Darkest Powers multi-chapter fic, and I hope you guys like it :)**

**Most of this will be written in first person Chloe POV, but a few select scenes might be written from 3****rd**** Person omniscient.**

Lauren bristled slightly as the doorbell rang, the cheerful noise troubling her deeply. Lately, she'd be getting a lot of extremely irritating reporters showing up at her home, desperate to be the first to unearth the secrets her young niece was hiding. She hoped that if she ignored this one, maybe they'd soon go away.

It all started a few months ago, when Chloe got her first period. And along with her first period came with what Lauren had been hoping were hallucinations, though she knew better.

She knew they were ghosts.

Ever since she'd been a young child, Lauren had been exposed to necromancy. Her sister had something of a gift, if you could call it that, and she could speak to those trapped between the afterlife and earthly mortality. She knew it was hereditary, and when Chloe hadn't seen a single spirit in fifteen years, Lauren let herself hope and believe that maybe Chloe was normal.

Chloe would never be normal. Lauren caught her occasionally glancing at something that wasn't exposed to Lauren's human eyes, and she knew she wasn't just spacing out judging by the precise way she would focus on one spot. Sometimes she'd smile, and other times, her eyes would widen in horror and Lauren decided then that she'd be keeping a closer eye on her sister's daughter.

For awhile, Lauren thought that maybe she was mistaken and that Chloe was only feverish, a common symptom of PMS. Then came a call from the school, saying they were very concerned about Ms. Saunders. No one dared to make any accusations, after all, who would want to make their school an enemy of a Vice-Presidential candidate? Lauren knew what was going on, and she had no idea how to stop it.

She could only pass on her sister's necklace to Chloe in hopes all this madness would stop. And when it didn't, she tried everything. Schizophrenia medication, therapy, even hypnosis; anything to let Chloe live in as much normalcy as she could. It was bad enough that she was always in the media's eye being a pretty little thing and the daughter of a famous politician, she didn't need reporters poking their noses in places where they didn't belong.

But after awhile, Lauren caved in. The media had found out about the way Chloe thought she was seeing things that weren't really there, and so Lauren screamed, "She has schizophrenia!" And she slammed the door on their faces, shock throbbing in the air. After that, she felt bad, like she'd betrayed Chloe. But what else was she supposed to do? Tell them the truth when Chloe didn't even know?

The doorbell rang again and Lauren sighed before answering the door.

Much to her surprise, there weren't any adult reporters there. No, there were three teenagers standing outside, their clothing torn. There was one girl and two boys, none of them looking particularly excited to be outside her door, in face, they all looked rushed and slightly battered. "Can I help you?" She asked, forcing patience and kindness into her voice.

"No," One boy replied, a warm smile on his face. "I think we can help you." The adolescent hoped he was going about this the right way, he didn't want to get thrown out of the lady's house before he even set foot inside.

Lauren blinked, a strange sensation settling over her, warning her to be wary of these children. "Oh?"

The Asian nodded seriously before joking casually, "Though would you mind letting us in? It's pretty hot outside." His heart started thrumming, hoping she'd consent.

When he smiled charmingly again, Lauren couldn't refuse as she opened the door a bit wider, indicating their presence was welcomed inside her home.

The girl whistled sharply as her brown eyes darted around, taking in the lovely tapestries on the walls, the crown-molding that gave the mansion a Victorian vibe. It was a beautiful home, and the girl hoped to own a home as beautiful as that someday. "Nice place," She admired before sitting down on one of the plush couches.

"Thank you." Lauren responded almost automatically. She cleared her throat somewhat uncomfortably. "Now, may I ask why it is that you're visiting? Are you friends of Chloe's?"

The two boys exchanged a glance. "You could say that."

Lauren frowned at the blonde's cryptic answer. "Care to elaborate?" She injected authority into her voice and shifted closer to the phone, letting them know if they were a part of some crazy new terrorist group, she could be in contact with her bodyguards in a heartbeat.

There was the slightest of pauses as he contemplated the best way to inform her of the real reason they were there. "Well, this might sound a little insane," He told her, for once a bit of uncertainty creeping onto his face before he shook his head and smiled again, "But we know."

Lauren ignored the instinct to roll her eyes as she decided this was just a group of friends pranking the nicest house in the neighborhood. So she smiled and played along. "Know? About what?"

"About her." One of the boys rumbled, sick of beating around the bush. He waited for her to look at him, ready for the usual reaction that seeing him brought on.

And sure enough, Lauren turned to him and took him in, _really_ took him in for the first time. He would easily tower over six feet, and though he appeared to be overweight, there was something in the way he gracefully paced around that he was hiding some serious muscle under baggy sweatshirts. His face was discolored with several types of acne, and his green eyes were severe and cold. She tried not to turn up her nose in distaste.

"About who?" She asked, though a feeling of dread was beginning to creep up on her, threatening to thwart her calm exterior.

The girl spoke up. "We know about Chloe." She spat out the name. She didn't know the girl yet, but she didn't need to know her to know she didn't like her. Not after what had happened because of Ms. Saunders.

Lauren tried to control her breathing. There was something about the way they all stared at her intently, like they really did know the one thing they weren't supposed to. "What do you know about her?"

The first boy to speak to her cleared his throat, figuring now was the time to fully explain who they were and why they were there. "We know she can see ghosts, but it's not about _us_ knowing."

"What do you mean?" Lauren demanded, careful not to deny the truth. She wasn't sure how well she'd be able to lie to a bunch of children, so she tried to avoid answering in a way that would require her to fib.

Once again, the boys exchanged a glance, still unsure how to explain. "You see, we're… well, we're gifted too. Not like that, but we're different. And we just got away from some people who want people like us, special people. We're afraid that Chloe is in danger."

So they left out a bit of the truth. They left out that they needed Chloe just as much as she needed them, big deal. They needed to convince Lauren to allow Chloe to go with them in order to bring down the Edison Group.

There was no doubt in her mind that they were telling the truth. The moment they stepped inside her house, she knew there was something different about them; she got that creeping sensation she got when she was around Chloe, that they, well, weren't quite normal. Lauren believed them, but what could she do? Allow her niece to run off with a bunch of teenagers she knew nothing about? "I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. She can't just leave, she belongs here." _Here with me._

"Chloe will never belong with normal people," The mostly-silent boy said, stopping his pacing clearly not afraid to offend anyone. The Edison Group would be there any minute, they couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Lauren set her jaw. "You say you want to protect her? You're a bunch of kids. Maybe if you get some kind of training, proper training, get used to your… powers and come back in a few years _if _Chloe is still in danger, I'll believe you." Taking in their tattered clothes, she corrected herself. "No, I already believe you, but I don't believe this is the right thing for Chloe. You need to help yourself before you can help my niece."

The three teenagers anxiously glanced about the room, wondering how they could convince her otherwise. Slowly, the beefy kid leaned over to the other male and muttered, "Forget this, we don't have the time." The girl nodded in agreement.

The other boy who seemed to be the spokesperson for everyone turn to Lauren and told her calmly, "Well, if that's how you feel, we need to leave." The other two teens were already stepping out the door. "But I promise you, at the first sign of these people threatening her, we will be here because she's too valuable to lose."

And then they all left.

The kids outside were milling about. After the tale had been told, one girl who did not go inside smiled and bragged, "I told you me waiting was a good idea. Now I can watch out for her while you guys go home because the woman won't even know I'm a supernatural, she'll just think I'm part of an innocent, teenage friendship."

They all eyed her, uncertain about leaving behind the copper-haired member of their team. "Fine," the Asian said slowly. "You need to keep her safe until—"

"Yes, she needs to keep the precious little necromancer safe," The other girl spat cruelly. "I think she's got it."

They all went over standard protocol, where she was to meet up with them over breaks and any other chance she got before the rest of her team left.

Meanwhile, Lauren stared, somewhat shell-shocked as they all started for the door none too quickly. They left so abruptly, and she wondered if this threat really was a terrible danger to Chloe. She shook her head. _Listen to you, getting caught up in their conspiracy. _

She couldn't deny that now she was even more paranoid then before. She didn't know what was going to happen to Chloe, but… no. Nothing was going to happen to Chloe, she decided with a steel-like resolution.

Even if she didn't understand what just happened, she did know something: that Chloe was every bit as special as she believed. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yes, this is Lauren. Double the amount of guards on Chloe."

Even if it meant endangering other people, Lauren _would_ keep Chloe safe. And judging by the way the teens seemed so desperate, Lauren wasn't the only one with a burning desire to protect Chloe… at any price.

**(A/N) Okay, that's the prologue! The next chapter will take place about a year and a half later :) **


	2. The Panicking

**(A/N) Hopefully this will clear some things up… some, but not all! **

_No. No, no, no. Not this again_. I couldn't help myself from panicking as my eyes stayed locked on to the man with the burned face, forever smoldering and utterly terrifying. It was grotesque, something that would have fascinated me if it were in a movie, but now that I was seeing it for real – or what my brain was tricking me into thinking was real – I didn't have time to marvel at how make-up can do so many cool things.

All I could think was, _This was supposed to stop._

It wasn't that my disorder was a secret I had to keep. My face had been all over the news stands a few months ago, everyone talking about my schizophrenia. I thought I'd gotten better, and apparently, my aunt thought so too because I stopped seeing my therapist. A lot of people didn't want to talk to me because I was mentally unstable or just because of who my dad was, and my only friend wasn't with me currently.

I hadn't struggled with my disorder for awhile, not since I started taking medication from a new company called The Edison Group. Had I forgotten to take my pills? No, I definitely popped them this morning with my breakfast…

So why was this happening? Why now? Why on my Sweet Sixteen, the one day where I was supposed to feel on top of the world, like I was growing up and didn't have a care in the world?

Lately, I'd been getting this weird feeling, like there was something around me. Like I could sense something that wasn't really there, but this was the first time when I actually started to see things. Not for the first time, I wondered why God cursed me with schizophrenia.

My gaze was still fixated on the man with the contorted face, and I tried to convince myself he wasn't really there, and I glanced away. But when I heard words, so familiar they were painful, reach my ears, I looked back at him. "Help me…" He groaned.

"N-No!" I howled at him, even though I knew I wasn't reacting rationally. The rational thing to do would be to just breathe and do my exercises. But he was just so real, I couldn't help it.

They were always so real.

He crawled closer to me, blindly, like he couldn't see where he was going, probably due to the fact that his face was severely burned. I swallowed, knowing that any minute now, someone would come to my rescue. _Right, and save the mentally disturbed girl from herself,_ I thought with an uncharacteristic bitterness.

It wasn't like they could help me. I was the only one who could help myself.

So I stifled a scream as he reached out a hand to touch me, and looked directly at what I kept telling myself was not an apparition, but a something I'd subconsciously created and thought long and hard, _Go away! _Desperately, I tried to remember what Dr. Thor had taught me. _You are not real. You are a figment of the imagination, and I am in control. You are something that is conjured by thoughts and can be ended by thoughts._

I began to step backward before breaking into a full blown run, my footsteps echoing down the empty hallway. But he was so fast, he just seemed to glide through the air like there was nothing stopping him. Like he was otherworldly.

_No. You are not otherworldly. You are something my brain has thought up for whatever reason, and you will leave me._

It wasn't working, I noticed, when he took another swipe at my face, hands gentle like he wanted to caress my cheeks like a long-lost lover. "Please, little girl, you're the only one who can—"

"Stop it!" I screamed, not able to contain myself any longer. "Just go away! _Go away right now!_" I felt something welling up inside me, something that felt strangely like a wild control and power. It thrummed through my veins, almost feeling like I was having an adrenaline rush. "_Now!"_ I shouted again, just for good measure.

And just like that, he was gone. _Chloe, get a grip._ I told myself harshly, feeling my eyes stinging with tears. I was doing so well, so well at controlling my mental disability, but now it was back, worse then ever.

My hands were shaking, and I hadn't realized it, but I must have lifted a hand during my passionate shouts. I lowered them slowly and started to clench and unclench my fists, in hopes of stopping their quivering.

Even though I knew they weren't real, there was a part of me that thought they were. There was a part of me that remembered the time when I saw my _mother_ and she was so real, and she warned me...

No. Aunt Lauren is taking good care of you, and you know that nothing is wrong.

I did have a ton of guards around me at all times, and I kept waiting for some of them to begin to swarm around me, but for some reason, nothing happened. I was still standing alone in the hallway, which made me feel a bit panicked.

I never liked to be alone. It was my greatest fear, because when I was alone, the hallucinations always got worse. But today, my only and best friend, Rae, wasn't around me. Could that possibly be why this started up again?

"Chloe?" A familiar voice asked, breaching the uncomfortable silence I had fallen into. "Chloe, are you alright?"

"Rae!" I shouted in relief, hurling myself into the older girl's arms. Unlike when I told her about one of my fits before I got help, she didn't start telling me that she understood what I was going through because she was mentally unstable as well; this time, she seemed cold and uncaring. Her arms wrapped around me, but they were unyielding, almost robotic.

Slowly, she asked again, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Y-Yes," I cursed my stutter and took a deep breath. I spoke slowly and praised God when my voice came out strong and solid, "I'm fine now. It was just…" I trailed off and finished lamely, "Well, you know. But I'll be alright, nothing to worry about." As I babbled about how okay I was, I got the feeling that I was trying to convince myself of the words I was speaking, not Rae.

When I looked at her, I could tell she wasn't being distant. She just seemed more like she was guilty, like she had on the day when she screamed at me for almost falling off the roof of our school. Why was I on the roof of our school? It was the only place I could go to escape the taunts of my peers, it was the only place I could really think.

"I just don't get it... why now? I mean, I was doing so well and then-" I stopped when I saw the look on her face.

She'd sometimes look at me that way, like she knew something about me that I couldn't figure out. Like there was some secret she was keeping from me, some answer that she knows but can't say. Usually I ignored it, but today it was harder. "Do _you_ know why this has happened?"

Rae sighed. "I'm no psychiatrist, but maybe it's stress induced? From that project we've been working on?" Her answer was halfhearted, though not in an uncaring way. She just seemed a bit distant.

I nodded slowly, even though I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she wasn't telling me. "Okay."

She bit her lip, and then relaxed her face, though it looked forced. Something she always did when she had something to say but didn't really know how to say it. When I realized she really wasn't going to speak, I prompted, "What is it?"

For a second, I was worried that she'd tell me she couldn't deal with me anymore, just like my father had. Oh, he hadn't said it in as many words, but he definitely meant it. He didn't want me, he didn't want to deal with my broken brain.

But that wasn't what she said. It was infinitely worse. "Chloe, I'm moving."

I was used to Rae leaving over the summer. She told me she went to camp, for people like her. And every time she told me that, she'd get this hopeful look on her face, like I'd ask what she meant; I never did though, because I figured if she wanted me to know, she'd tell me. I was never one to pry.

But her moving? That was unheard of. Rae was emancipated. She lived on her own in an apartment that was slightly rundown, and even though I offered for her to live with me (after all, there was plenty of space in my mansion) she always declined, saying that she didn't think it was a very good idea.

"W-w-Why?" I asked, and I almost flinched at the sorrow in my voice. I was desperate for friends, and she knew that, but she never judged me for it.

It wasn't that I was always a social outcast. Before, a ton of people wanted to be my friends, and not for the money since I was always in some elite school where everyone was rich. I used to be in a fine arts school where there were so many people I could relate to. But then it all changed when I was diagnosed.

I was the freak. The one who was always left out, the one who got laughed at as soon as I entered the room.

I wasn't sure how Rae and I were friends, being so different. Rae was a tough girl. She could take care of herself, hence why she was living on her own. I would always need people.

I could tell she was reliving old memories too, like when she stuck up for me when people called me crazy. And nobody messed with Rae. Sure, she seems nice enough at first glance, but there's this fire inside her, and I swear when she gets mad, her eyes just smolder like embers. Despite how strong of a person she was, there was a bit of weakness on her face as she told me, "I just need to move now. Time to make some changes in my life."

There was something desperate in her tone, too. Almost like she was pleading with me to understand, like she was sorry. Of course she was sorry of leaving me. Everyone always felt bad ditching the crazy girl, but it always happened sooner or later. I took in a deep breath and was proud when my voice sounded strong. "Okay. Call me or text me or… or something."

She nodded, but she hid her eyes from me. Her dead give-away for when she was lying. It always showed in her eyes, so she'd learned to glance away whenever she lied but it still indicated her untruthful words.

Tears stung my eyes for the second time of that day.

_This is the worst birthday ever._

**(A/N) Don't worry, everyone else will be coming in in a few chapters :D**


	3. The Betraying

**(A/N) Starting school soon :/ My updates will probably get really scattered and kind of random, so I'm sorry about that!**

It felt like forever until I decided it was pointless wallowing in self-pity. _Listen to you, getting upset over something so stupid. If she wants to move, fine, but if you really want to do something…_

I'd made my decision. I stood up and headed out the door before asking someone to drive me to Rae's place. Immediately, my aunt frowned. She'd never liked Rae very much, and whenever I'd ask what she did, she'd just say in a tired tone, "She's not a very good influence on you."

I always tried to explain to Aunt Lauren that Rae was the best friend I ever had. It was true, too. Whenever anyone would whisper things about me, she'd turn around and punch them in the face. She got suspended for me a lot, but eventually, the looks stopped.

At first I resented her for it because I didn't have many friends. Then I just got over it when I realized they wouldn't have made very good companions anyway, and that Rae would always be there for me.

So I thought.

"Thank you," I said hurriedly to my chauffeur who merely tipped his hat, thinly masked disapproval on his face.

Walking up the steps to Rae's apartment, I couldn't help but think maybe I was being stupid and rash. Maybe she didn't want me there, maybe she was moving because she got sick of always sticking up for me...

_No._ I told myself firmly. _Rae's your friend, she'll be glad you're there to see her before she finally moves._

I lifted a hand to the door but then stopped short. "...Could you do... that? Were...thinking...all?" The masculine voice was unfamiliar to me, and he sounded really, really angry.

I double checked the door number. 361. Definitely Rae's apartment. Steeling my jaw, I firmly knocked on the door, the loud _rapping_ ringing down the hall. I grimaced a bit, wishing I hadn't banged on the door quite so hard.

Rae must've replied quietly because I couldn't hear her, even as she neared the door. "_Chloe?_" She asked incredulously. "Um, now isn't... a good time."

I rolled my eyes at her, anger steadying my voice. "Clearly. Who's the guy in your apartment?"

"What guy in my apartment?"

Once again, I rolled my eyes to cover the hurt I felt. Why was she lying? "I can hear him, he wasn't exactly-"

"Let her see, she should know just what you've done," The voice said this time softer, though a hint of anger still lingered in his tone.

There was a face this time, and it wasn't one I was expecting .Someone so angry shouldn't have been so cute. He smiled at me, though it looked fake and didn't quite reach his almond-shaped eyes. Blonde hair hung over his forehead, not too long, not too short.

The way he was looking at me made me feel uncomfortable. It was almost like he expected me to side with him. "Wh-what are you talking about?" I hesitantly questioned, wishing my stutter would go away.

Rae glared at him and hissed, "Simon, it's _fine._ I know I made the right decision, for me and Chloe, and you'd be wise to-"

"No, you _betrayed _us!" He roared, causing me to flinch away. "You're just lucky Derek's not with me."

Rae sniffed at that. "Please, I'm sure he'd be here in half a minute if necessary." There was a slight pause. "I'm not scared of him, anyway."

Simon scoffed, but said nothing as Rae plowed on, "Why are you here if you already thought I was wrong?"

"You wanted me to be here so you could 'reason with me', you should've known this would happen. I guess we all thought that maybe you weren't with them and there was a perfectly reasonable explanation behind this mess. We were mistaken."

He turned to me with a controlled expression, and I tried not to grimace at him. "Listen, Chloe," He told me in a way that was supposed to be soothing, but his clenched jaw ruined the effect, "I need you to come with me."

"I-I'm not going w-with you anywhere!" I protested. "At least, not until you give me some answers."

He glowered at Rae before looking at me again, expression pleading. "Not here, not now that she's-" He bit off his words. "Please, Chloe, I promise _I'd_ never hurt you."

"I don't even know you!" I shouted at him, trying to fight off the confusion I was feeling at the moment. "Y-You can't just expect me t-t-t-to..." I trailed off as something outside the window caught my eye.

Frowning, I walked a bit closer. "Oh my god!" I shrieked as my thoughts were confirmed. "W-w-we have to, we have to... oh my god."

_Calm down, Chloe, just calm down._

Someone just flew past Rae's window, and actual body, plummeting to the ground. I sprinted all the way to the window and stared down, wondering why the people below were so calm. They were just milling about, some people were even laughing.

But then it happened again. The same flashes of clothing, falling down, down, down...

I looked up and saw someone falling out of a window, over and over, and over. "Chloe, it's okay," someone said, but I couldn't really hear.

Sinking to the ground, I lifted my hands to my hair, gripping the shoulder-length strands as I tried to remember how the concept of breathing worked. "Chloe?" Someone asked, but I still couldn't reply.

I continued to gasp as they fell over and over until someone grabbed my shoulders gently and twisted me around. My eyes began to focus on the familiarity of Rae's apartment and I took in a few deep breaths and muttered a quick, "Thanks. S-sorry. I have-"

"Schizophrenia?" Simon snorted. "Sure you do, Chloe."

I eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

He smiled at me again, a smile that would make most girls swoon or melt, but I only kept my walls of skepticism up. "I can explain everything to you, if you'd just..." He glanced over at Rae, and his eyes widened marginally. "Rae!" He shouted.

Simon launched himself at her, and I wondered what I should do, some crazy guy was assaulting my best friend...

But then something weird happened. Something _very_ weird happened.

Her fingertips started to glow, sparks glancing off her skin as she punched him in the gut. He cussed quietly before muttering something unintelligible and motioning with his hands and she flew back, hitting the couch.

Just like in a movie.

"Who were you calling?" He interrogated, pinning her down, using the force of his body weight to hold her prisoner.

She shook her head sadly and whispered, "I only wanted what's best for Chloe."

He shook his head, though it was much more sharp and he looked agitated. "Liar. You just wanted them to restore you. We both know it should have been more than sparks back there."

Rae didn't say anything, just glanced at me, copper eyes full of sorrow. "I didn't mean to, Chloe. I just think it's for the best."

My head was reeling, and I tried to calm myself. I hadn't realized it, but I'd begun hyperventilating again during their odd fight. In movies, the heroine always managed to keep her cool. Why couldn't I be like them?

Why was I so weak?

_Don't you dare cry again, Chloe._ I told myself firmly. _Remove yourself from the source of aggravation._

So with one final glance at the two people, I walked out of the room and ran down the hallway. I just couldn't take this anymore, I couldn't deal with it.

Who decided to play some cruel joke on me and make me so insane?

**(A/N) I originally made this longer, but I like it the way it is. Don't worry, more stuff will be cleared up soon.**


	4. The Disbelieving

**(A/N) I'm sorry this took me so long, but to be honest, it's not very inspiring to update something that doesn't get reviews, and no, I'm not holding chapters hostage, it's just difficult to write something that gets no feedback. Plus, I started school a few weeks ago.**

I stumbled down to hallway, not bothering to care how clumsy I was. After all, when someone was in shock, weren't they entitled to a bit of excusable tripping?

My hands were shaking, and I told myself to just calm down. I drew in a couple of breaths, trying to make the world stop spinning so much. Eventually, everything was back in place and I tried to make sense of what I'd just seen.

Someone that I'd never seen before knew all about me, seemed to know some secret that I was supposed to be let in on. More importantly, that boy, Simon, had been fighting with Rae and somehow, he pushed her without even putting a finger on her.

Rae was fighting back too. Her eyes were burning furiously as she fought with the boy, and when she looked at me, she seemed guilty. What could she have possibly done that was so bad?

I decided I didn't really want to find out.

Sighing, I started to make my way to the bottom of the apartment. I clicked on the button to make the elevator appear on my level. I tapped my foot impatiently before letting out another sigh. I just wanted to go home where I could at least _pretend_ to be a normal person.

The elevator dinged and I started to walk through the doors, not really paying much attention. And, the result of my lack of focus resulted in me smacking into something. Or rather, someone.

I could feel myself losing my footing, so I shot out a hand in an attempt to steady myself and grabbed onto a hard and bulging bicep. My cheeks heated in embarrassment, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to brave looking at him. In the end, my curiosity won out.

I had to tilt my head up to get a good look at him. He was really tall, at least six foot three. He was clad in baggy clothing, and was definitely well built, though it seemed almost as though he was trying to hide that. The first thing I noticed was that he was intimidating, almost frightening.

The next thing I noticed was those _eyes._ Gorgeous green eyes. They were a dark, forest green with spokes of emerald shot through, creating a multi-faceted and intriguing look.

But it wasn't just the color that was so amazing, it was what lay under them. An intelligent, calculating honesty. An honesty that indicated he could be harsh if necessary, but thoughtful as well. He was clearly alert, almost like he was taking in every detail of his surroundings even if he was looking at me.

The rest of his face wasn't particularly remarkable, average features, though the glistening green orbs made up for it. He would never be a model, but he could be considered cute, and he definitely had really nice eyes.

He had a suspicious look on his face, and I lifted my hands to my own eyes, which were probably watering and puffy. How attractive. I blinked quickly and tried to avert my gaze.

But I couldn't stop staring at him, which I would probably be embarrassed about later, but I didn't really care at the moment.

"Do you need something?" He asked coldly, tone indicating that he really hated being stared at. And yet, he was still surveying me.

If on anyone else, I'd have thought maybe he was checking me out, but I knew there was nothing _to _check out. I wasn't insanely pretty, and I had curves that were so unnoticeable, they might as well have not been there at all.

No. He was examining me. Looking for something, much like the way Simon was.

My mouth wasn't working, and maybe it was because his tone was almost threatening, but that wasn't it. It was more that he seemed to be used to having people look at him, and he didn't appreciate it much. "N-n-no," I finally got out before attempting to push past him into the elevator.

Of course, he was muscular, and that didn't go over well. "Are you okay?"

He wasn't concerned. After all, he didn't even know me. He was asking in a monotonous tone, like it was something scripted in a flick and he was a terrible actor, or just didn't care enough about his part to make his line sound good. "Y-y-yes."

"Very intelligent, I see." His tone was unreadable, but in those eyes, I could see something like disappointment. I'd let him down, somehow.

It made me want to get angry, but maybe I was just too shell-shocked to care as much as I should have. He did move aside, and I stepped into the elevator and quickly pressed the button to make the doors close so I could get away from that accusing stare.

Even after the doors shut, I could still feel him staring at me, and it made gooseflesh appear on my skin. I couldn't decipher my own emotions, except for one of them: excitement.

Adrenaline was buzzing through my body, whether it was left from seeing Rae or from meeting the stranger with the shockingly green eyes. I shook my head like I needed to clear it, but I was actually thinking a lot more sharply then usual.

When I finally reached the ground floor, I walked out the elevator and out the door of the apartment complex. The walk home would be long, but I didn't really care. I had so much energy I was certain I wouldn't get tired, and I didn't feel the need to call anyone to chauffeur for me.

I always kept my head down while walking. I knew it drove my father and aunt insane, they always said it was a sign of insecurity. But really, whenever I walked home, I felt scared.

It would probably sound stupid coming from anyone else, but I had every reason to be frightened. Whenever I was alone on the streets, there was always the possibility of someone attempting to kidnap me. I was worth quite a good deal of money, and I was an easy target.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't put up a fight, it just wouldn't be a very good one. I was tiny and I _hated_ it. I was only five foot one, and only a hundred and three pounds. I was pretty agile, but that was the only sort of advantage I'd have over anyone. Rae would always joke around and say I needed someone tough like her to watch out for me, but I knew she was being serious.

And now, I didn't have her. Maybe it was selfish and greedy to wish she was with me, or maybe it was just plain stupid. She was always volatile, but after what I'd witnessed in her apartment, I couldn't help but wonder if it would even be smart to be alone with her.

Immediately, I was shamed by the thought. Rae was my friend. Or was she?

It was all too confusing, so I tried to think about something else. I let myself get lost in plotting a new idea for a film to present at my arts school. There would be a heroine, someone weak and thought she always needed other people. But when she'd find herself alone, she'd grow and discover she was strong enough to make it without others.

The thought was a good one, if untrue. I knew I'd never be able to be that girl. Someone fearless and full of self-respect.

Just when I was about to start wishing I was someone else, the sensation started.

Being the daughter of a politician, when you go out in public, people stare at you. You get used to recognizing when people are looking at you, and you start to be able to feel people's eyes on you.

And I knew I was being watched.

Casually, I picked up my head. I knew exactly where I was, in some alley that was a shortcut on the way home. It wasn't particularly disgusting, but it was still definitely an alley, and a dangerous one.

Fear prickled under my skin, and I started whirling around. There wasn't anyone there, but I _knew_ I was being watched. I just knew it.

I turned back toward the way I came, and for a second I thought I saw them. Those eyes that captured my attention no more than fifteen minutes ago.

But that was impossible. I'd left him behind at the apartment when he was on his way to visit someone, how could he have caught up with me? How could he be there?

_Was_ he there? Or was this some imagined apparition?

Hesitantly, I called out, "Who's there?"

No response. "A-answer me!"

Still nothing. At least, no words answered me. But they were there again, a flash of glowing green in the shadows, and I felt myself relax.

_Stupid!_ A voice screamed in my head. _Don't relax; he could do so many things to you…_

But he wouldn't. He wouldn't harm me. The thought was in my mind, ridiculously irrational, but dominant. The boy from the apartment had no intention of harming me, it was something hammered into my brain.

I was safe with him there. It was another ridiculously irrational thought, but it was true.

Safe. He'd keep me safe. I was safe… I was safe…

_This isn't natural!_ The voice was screaming again. _Something isn't right!_

Everything was right. The boy with the green eyes would protect me.

_Stop it, Chloe! Stop!_

The voice finally broke through, and the hazy trust vanished. "Who's there?" I asked again, stronger this time.

Why was I acting that way? It was like I was under some kind of trance, some kind of spell.

There was something, some kind of murmuring. I couldn't understand it, much as I wanted to. Was it real?

It was so hard to tell. There was so much that was wrong with me, I wasn't quite sure what to think, it was so impossibly confusing. What to believe?

Was the boy there, or was he not?

Was there whispering, or was there not?

What was real, and what was not?

**(A/N) The ending will be cleared up eventually, if you haven't already figured it out, haha :)**

**Reviews? Pretty please?**


	5. The Kidnapping

**(A/N) You guys are AMAZING, do you know that? I asked for more reviews, and I GOT THEM. That's just amazing, and I just love you guys so much 333**

**By the way, I was not trying to make you guys seem like bad fans (I didn't even know I had fans, haha), I'd still write even if I didn't get more reviews, I was simply explaining why it had been so long since I'd last updated. **

**You're all wonderful. Seriously.  
**

I quickly fled from the alley. I lowered my eyes even closer to the ground than I usually did because I couldn't stand all the things I was seeing. It was terrible, so inexplicably awful to ponder whether I was sane or not, and yet, I couldn't stop wondering.

Why was my schizophrenia acting up again?

Then, another question popped into my head but I shoved it away. The concept was so ridiculous I didn't bother dwelling on it, instead focusing on looking for more shortcuts to get home.

I wasn't looking forward to walking through more abandoned alleys, but if it got me to my house sooner, I was all for it. I'd had such a long day, I was ready to just go home and sleep. Smiling at the thought, I envisioned my bed and dreams that were pleasant and not corrupted with ghosts and other nonsense.

A shortcut. A patch of forest that I'd always been tempted to wander through but always ignored was sitting there, waiting to be explored. Well, my day was already going so badly, there was no way it could get worse, right?

Slowly, I slid one foot out in front of the other, testing the tender foliage to make certain it didn't contain any horrors. I grinned before running through the woods, feeling like a child again.

When I was a kid, my parents took me outside all the time. But when my mom left, that all changed. I was locked up inside the house, my dad fearing that if he let me out of his sight or out of the protection from guards, I'd be killed. He didn't want me to end up like Mom.

Dead.

It wasn't something that I thought of often, but I just couldn't help it. Her smile was floating behind my eyes, and I couldn't help but think of it. Her happy face was soothing, making the events that recently happened to me fade into oblivion.

For a moment, I could just picture her with me. She was standing there, smiling at me. I wasn't sixteen anymore, just a small child, longing to be cradled in a loving embrace only a mother can give. I stretched my fingertips out—

"Chloe!"

The gasp was so loud, I jumped back.

It wasn't like it was my fault. I was skittish, and when I opened my eyes, I could see that for once, I had a reason to be so paranoid. Because she was there.

I mean, she was _really_ there, so vivid I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I blinked, then blinked again, hearing words but not really processing because I was just that shocked. "M-m-mom?" I whispered.

"Hi, baby," She murmured, sad smile on her face. She glanced up, like she was searching for something. Then when she spoke, it was like listening to a fuzzy radio station, with static buzzing and crackling between us, making her words impossible to understand. "I'm not... here. Against... sorry, so sorry. Baby... not safe... _help_... they... soon... ghosts."

There were a few more hesitant words but I couldn't hear them because that one kept resonating throughout my mind. Ghosts.

Was this really a...

No. Of _course_ not, ghosts weren't real.

This was the part where I was supposed to dismiss the thought, supposed to tell myself I'd been watching way to many movies, and I did. But my heart wasn't in it, and I was entertaining the idea of seeing apparitions.

Which was worse: being crazy or seeing spirits?

I couldn't decide, so I turned my thoughts away, trying to focus on something else. Something else, like the person standing in the shadows who was definitely heading toward me with a soft _thump thump thump_ as they paced to me.

A few twigs cracked under their feet, and then they were flying toward my so fast I thought I had to be mistaken. I stood there unblinking, trying to piece together my scattered thoughts only to have my fears confirmed: they were attacking me.

I'd been forced into taking a few self-defense classes in case something like this happened, but I just couldn't think. The only thing crossing my mind was, _I'm going to die._ They tackled me to the ground, and I realized that the figure had no curves and was definitely male.

Definitely male and definitely able to do horrible things to a girl like me. The idea was horrible, terrifying, but inevitable.

They were clad in all black, wearing a thin veil over their face so I couldn't see them. I flailed feebly, not really putting any effort into it because why bother? Some strange man was attacking me, and what could a tiny girl like me do?

_No, Chloe, don't be so stupid,_ I chided myself before trying to spur my body into action.

In every good movie, there's at least one fight scene. I'd seen kidnapping attempts before, written them even, and the best way to go was take the person by surprise, especially if you were outmatched (which, I was.) So I forced my body to become less tense.

It was like an out of body experience after that. I knew what was going on, but it couldn't be happening to me, because I wasn't that experienced in escaping from lunatics.

He relaxed his hold on me, thinking I wouldn't put up a fight. I used that to my advantage as I twisted sharply out of their grip before trying to slug the man.

I missed. He flung himself at me again, this time going for something on his belt that looked like-like...

He had a _gun_? A freaking _gun?_ I had to get that away from him, or... I couldn't finish the thought. I tried to slide away from him, knowing that I was msot likely more agile then him, but I was unfortunately wrong.

I wracked my brain, trying to recall how to fight. The heroine would hold her fist like _that_ and then she'd pull back and... I shot my fist forward, this time catching him on the side of the head. It was the first time I'd ever hit someone, and I knew it probably wasn't going to happen again, so I ran.

My feet stumbled through the underbrush, but I couldn't rememebr where I was going, I just knew I had to get out. I thoguht I could hear voices, but there were none, only the much louder trampling of someone chasing after me.

My legs were stubby, and I knew it wouldn't be much longer before he caught up with me. _Think, Chloe, think!_ But I didn't have time to think because he was on me again, saying something about how it was okay and he didn't want to hurt me, but he would if he had to.

I couldn't get out of this. I heard a girl cursing, and I thought for a second that it had to be me, but I realized my lips weren't moving. Great. More back-up for the psycho.

He still ahd me pinned, but he'd learned his lesson and I couldn't get away no matter how much I squirmed. "Let me go!" I commanded, trying to sound brave.

He hit me in the back of the head, a warning to stay quiet.

Then another voice chimed in, saying, "Guess I should step in now." It was a grudging statement, and I wondered what she meant by now. Was she the same girl who cussed before, someone who was there but hadn't helped me? The thought made my angry, and my fists balled.

There was a loud sizzling noise, and the man slumped to the ground, and I could have sworn through the veil his eyes were wide with shock, and he wasn't the only one. My own blue gaze was locked on the falling figure, wondering what just happened. He landed with a loud noise, and I lifted my gaze, trying to move seamlessly into a fighting stance but instead stumbling.

Oh great. Now I really was going to die. I lifted my fists again when a cold laugh reached my ear, definitely female. "I was hoping you would be more... useful."

I tried to throw myself at the girl, but she was taller than me. I couldn't see much about her, but she stepped out of the way, laughing joyfully when I fell. "Hun," She said in a condescending tone, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Fire then began swirling around her, lighting up a pretty face, surrounded by a halo of dark hair. I stumbled back, blinking to make those strange blue flames go away. But like with my mother, the sight didn't vanish. "Unless, of course, you want me to." Her lips pulled into an almost maniacal grin before she burst into laughter. "Oh, if you could see the way you look right now."

The flames disappeared, and I exhaled in relief. "You're so pathetic."

Her tone was sneering, and I was familiar with her type. The girls who were popular at school, the ones who thought they were better than everyone for no reason. "Y-y-you..." I tried a different route, "What just happened?"

"Oh, he's not dead," She told me as I went to check his heart rate, wondering why I hadn't done that before. "Maybe in shock but who really cares? He was going to kidnap you, and um, hello, no thank you?"

"Thanks," I muttered, trying not to sound too scared. She could turn on me any second, though she would have already done that, right?

But what exactly would she have done? What did she do to him? Hit him with some ball of energy? Impossible.

"What are you?" I asked finally, the question I really wanted to know the answer to.

She snorted. "Details, details. Details _you_ aren't allowed to know."

I ignored her jab and tried again, "You just hit him with something-"

"Something he's about to wake up from any second," She told me, and I tried not to glare at her for interrupting because she had just saved my life. "You need to run." She then must have realized she'd not said anything mean to me, so she added, "Unless you need the scary witch to hold your hand?"

Witch. Witch. Witch. Was that really what she was, or was she just messing with my mind?

I didn't bother asking, instead only bobbed my head and sprinted through the forest before she changed her mind and decided to blast me too.

And as I left the forest, I could have sworn I heard her shout after me, "And Chloe? You better not tell anyone about this."

**(A/N)**** Confrontation with Lauren coming next chapter, and in the next two, all will be made clear!**

**Alright, so I figured I need to make a few things about this fic clear:**

**1. This is going to be LONG. As in, my chapter-by-chapter outline is at 49 chapters at the moment. The reason for this is that Ms. Armstrong had three books to enable her characters to grow and develop, and I only have one fanfiction, so it's not going to be short because I've also got to work on the actual plot.**

**However, the amount of time that passes is only going to be about a week. So all the events happen very fast, but the reason for this is because I find that the actual series is paced the same way, and I want to have everyone develop nicely.**

**2. Speaking of characters, I will not be including the Simon/Derek/Chloe love triangle because we already know who she's gonna end up with ;) Though trust me, there will still be tension between Derek and Chloe, sorry to those of you who love fluff!**

**3. There will be some scenes based loosely off ones in the book. Of course, I'm going to put a twist on them because (in the words of Heidi on Project Runway) I just **_**love**_** little twists!**

**I'm also going to be uploading a lot of DP oneshots, I just finished the series and thought of a lot of ideas to put into fanfics :)  
**


	6. The Reminding

**(A/N) Alright, here it is: confronting Lauren again. The next few chapters will clear up A LOT of what's going on, the main goals and plots (some of which will be similar though not identical to those of the real series), and getting to know/ fully introducing the characters. **

Tori blew a strand of black hair out of her face as she jogged back to the other people in her group. She was shaking, purely from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. A slight smile made its way onto her face and she repressed a giddy laugh from passing her lips.

There they were: the two boys she'd been seeking. Derek was slouching, though still massive next to his slighter brother Simon. She frowned as she noticed that they were talking, Derek for once looking semi-relaxed and Simon with a lazy smile on his face.

She wasn't about to let them seem so calm when she was so enthralled with what just happened.

"Hey!" She shouted out.

Both cringed at the sound of her voice. She didn't have to be so conspicuous; the group never knew when _they_ could have been watching.

The taller of the two whirled on her and his eyes glinted in the darkness, his distaste clear in his eyes. "Keep it down," He hissed at her but Tori merely rolled her eyes in response.

"I just came from saving that girl," She turned her nose up on the last two words. After all, that girl had made Tori's life hell, so why should she show even an ounce of friendliness when speaking about her?

No one needed to ask who it was, and when the words she spoke were processed, she was met with the response she was expecting. Two heads shot toward her and they both started barking out questions. Tori merely laughed meanly, cynically amused at the slight amount of chaos that broke out.

"She's fine so calm down. After all, I was there and my energy bolt spell is _very_ good."

Ignoring the tone in her voice, the one that said she didn't feel like talking about the girl she despised, Simon asked her, "What happened?"

He thought back on the time when he spoke with her in Rae's apartment. She was a tiny, cute girl. She was a supernatural, and The Edison Group wanted her, so she had to be powerful. But somehow, he just couldn't imagine the slight blonde being able to put up much of a fight.

None of them picture her being able to take care of herself. And that's why they needed to keep her safe, because they needed her and she needed them. It was an even trade.

"She was walking home and got attacked," Tori droned, sounding just as bored as she felt. "Her fault though. She just had to save time and walk through the big, scary forest. Especially after what happened in the alley when we freaked her out, you would think she'd learn her lesson."

Simon glowered. "It wasn't her fault! You want someone to blame, blame Rae. None of this would have happened if it weren't for her."

Tori said nothing in response until Derek prompted her impatiently to give more details about the encounter. "She was in the forest and one guy was chasing her. He was following her for, say, five ten minutes? That is, until he pin—"

"You were watching while he was stalking her and you didn't do anything?" Derek exclaimed, forking a hand through his hair in frustration.

He walked up to Tori and leaned down while attempting to stop himself from baring his teeth in a fierce snarl. "What don't you get? She's important, _crucial_, to bringing down those people and you're so pathetic and petty you let your own feelings get in the way of your job?"

"Just because I'm not obsessed like you guys doesn't mean—"

He cut her off again with a sharp gesture with his hand. "Don't bother." His tone indicated that he already knew Tori was incredibly stupid and couldn't present any sort of logical counter argument.

Tori, being much smarter than Derek assumed, sensed this and opened her mouth. She made a snarky retort and Derek glared.

Simon watched all this quietly, wondering when the two would ever get used to each other enough to stop arguing so much. "I think we need to see Lauren again."

The other two teens turned, momentarily forgetting their anger. Derek frowned a bit as he tried to decide if maybe Simon was right.

On the one hand, there were some risks about discussing Chloe with her overprotective aunt. She could decide that she knew what was best and lied to Chloe who would be tortured all her life with questions that would go unanswered. Or she could expose The Edison Group and all supernaturals, putting everyone in that category at risk.

But on the other hand, maybe she'd listen. She could always decide that maybe they were the only ones who really understood. She could allow Chloe to go with them, and that could be seriously valuable.

Did the risks outweigh the benefits?

"Well?" Simon asked.

"We'll go tomorrow, when Chloe's in school. Actually, you two will go." He smiled wryly. "I'll wait outside since she didn't seem to like me much."

Simon nodded, feeling sympathetic but now showing it because it would only make Derek feel worse. "Then it's settled."

* * *

The doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Lauren sighed before heaving herself off the couch and walking over to the door. It chirped again and she huffed, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

She flung open the door, ready to start asking some incredulous questions when she saw who was there. The words stopped with an odd noise that was almost like a sob. "Leave, please. She'll be home any-"

"You know why we're here, and you know you need to listen," Simon told her calmly.

He surveyed her. She looked frazzled, worn thin. Like perhaps she didn't have a good night's rest. "You know what happened to her yesterday."

Lauren sighed. "Of course I do."

Tori opened her mouth to say something. Simon shot her a look, one that clearly told her not to speak. She ignored him. "And do you know who it was? Or why they did it?"

Lauren knew who it was. And she knew part of the why. But that wasn't the point, the point was that Chloe wasn't safe. "You should leave," She repeated flatly, gesturing to the door. "I'm sure your other... friend... is waiting for you."

Part of Simon wanted to defend his brother, but he knew it wasn't the time or place. "He's not. Because you know what he's doing right now?" When Lauren didn't respond, Simon plowed on, "He's watching out for Chloe."

"I don't want him anywhere near her!" The woman exclaimed, rising to her feet. "I don't want any of you near her and I don't want to hear about your crazy theories-"

"Well, you don't have a choice," Tori snapped, fingers flying up.

Lauren froze. Simon angrily said something to Tori, but she wasn't listening. "Last time we were here, we told you about the people that wanted to hurt Chloe. Someone betrayed us, and now Chloe is at risk of becoming messed up, and you won't even listen to us?"

"Tori, stop!" Simon thundered. He didn't use magic to stop her, but instead tackled her. "Don't do that again."

"Or what?" Tori sneered, unapologetic. "You'll cast a spell on me? If you wanna fight, I think we both know who'll come out on top." It was a cruel taunt, and she knew it. She also knew it would shut him up, and when he merely flipped her off she grinned.

Lauren was shaking. She couldn't move a muscle, no matter how badly she wanted to reach for the phone and call the police.

_What just happened? _She thought to herself when the paralysis wore off. She sunk to the floor and held in a whimper. "What are you?" She wondered out loud, trying not to sound horrified.

Tori whirled on her, sneer on her face. "We're spellcasters, obviously."

"Spellcasters," Lauren said, dazed. She felt the sudden urge to giggle, but she didn't. She shook her head, staring hard at the two kids in front of her.

They both looked so _normal._ The boy was Asian, with hair that was so dark a blonde it was nearly brown. The girl was rather tall, perhaps reaching five foot eight with short dark hair and menacing brown eyes. Like the jock and mean girl of the school.

Simon cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," He told her, trying to sound aloof, like nothing weird even happened. "But... if you think we're bad, you should see the supernaturals we escaped from. They're a million times worse."

He watched as her face immediately changed, from wary shock to downright revulsion. When Simon noticed that he'd struck a chord, he continued, "They torture other supernaturals, kill them even, just to see what will happen. Do you want that to be Chloe?"

She didn't say anything, so Simon kept talking. What had started out as a persuasive argument turned into a rant, the chance to vent out his emotions.

"Because if you really want to know the extent of what they've done, we could go through all the details of _every_ experiment we've found out about that they've conducted. You see, we're just Project Genesis, which had no necromancer, until they found Chloe. Now they have the perfect chance to expand to include that particular race. Unless, of course, they've already started because you wouldn't-"

"Stop," Lauren told them holding up a hand. She almost flinched when she heard the pleading in her voice.

Some people said that honesty was better than being left in the dark. But Lauren didn't want to hear it, didn't want to hear about the world she wasn't a part of. "How can you possibly protect Chloe?"

Tori shot her a look. The look said, "Do you not remember what I just did to you, you idiot?"

Lauren tried a different tactic. "She can't leave, not without the media flocking all around us."

"It's not election time, I think they have more important things to worry about." Tori said carelessly.

Gently, Simon suggested, "Why not let Chloe decide?"

"Would you really do that to her?" Lauren asked in a hushed whisper. "Take away any normal life she has left?"

Exasperated, Simon's voice lost the quiet, soothing factor. "It's going to get even worse if The Edison Group catch her."

"Please," Lauren begged, "please don't take her away from me."

"I'm sorry," Simon replied truthfully. "But her life is more important then her being comfortable."

_Not to mention the lives of all the other supernaturals we'd be able to save_. He added. "As soon as things are safe, we can bring her home. She'll know how to control her powers, and you won't ever have to look at any of us again."

Lauren felt a tear slide down her cheek. She wasn't crying out of frustration, but because she knew she'd lost a battle. She might be stubborn, but she wasn't stupid.

There were some things you just couldn't control. And there are some things you just can't hide from, and when you can't hide, you have to fight. And when you have to fight, you fight fire with fire; Lauren didn't have that sort of flame. She couldn't keep Chloe protected so she had to trust someone else to do it for her.

Hesitantly and in a strangled tone, she murmured, "Fine. But what if she doesn't come back?"

"She will," Tori promised her.

Simon glanced at the door, which was slowly being cracked open. "Hey, Aunt Laur-"

Her mouth opened slightly. Chloe looked at the people in her home and she felt confused and afraid and so many other things. "W-what are you _doing_ here?"

**(A/N) I hope that this made sense... The next chapter is obviously going to be Chloe finding out what's going on.**


	7. The Discovering

**(A/N) For those of you who might be curious, I got my inspiration for this fanfiction in the chapter of **_**The Awakening**_** when Derek and Simon are sandwiching Chloe to protect her, haha.**

**And here it is… the chapter where things are pretty much fully disclosed!**

The first thing I felt was furious - furious that these people were in my home. Furious that Aunt Lauren let them in. Furious that there was some part of me that let out a sigh of relief when I saw them.

The next thing I felt was fear.

What were these people doing in my house? Were they going to hurt me? Was I even _safe_ with them around?

I wanted to tell myself I was being silly, but I couldn't shake the feelings growing inside of me.

I was a naturally paranoid person, and one with good instincts. And right then, two things were screaming at me in the face, telling me to listen: one, that they kept me safe before and that they'd do it again, two, that they were clearly just as "unstable" as I was and might turn on me at the first given chance.

"Leave!" I shouted angrily, feeling my eyes widen.

Simon's smile faltered while the girl just glowered as if to say, "Who's gonna make me?"

"G-get out!" I commanded. I took a single step back, trying not to shake in fear and anger. When they didn't leave, I scowled. "Why are you here?"

"You see, Chloe," Simon cleared his throat. "We're here about your... schizophrenia. It's not really schizophrenia at all, actually."

I stumbled back, hand whirling to find something to grip onto. I grabbed hold of a chair and squeezed so hard, I thought the veins might pop out. "What are you talking about?"

It was foolish, but I felt hope swell up inside of me and I felt the ridiculous urge to smile. I shouldn't have believed anything they told me, they probably just wanted to kidnap me and hold me for a ransom. It was just too _much _to hope for, that this huge problem would be fixed.

Little did I know that with one problem fixed, an even greater one would present itself.

My aunt placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked up, startled out of my dreaming. I'd completely forgotten she was with me.

Her eyes looked tired and defeated. Her shoulders were slumped, and Aunt Lauren opened her mouth a few times like she was going to say something but didn't quite know how to. Finally, she decided on, "I know things seem confusing, Chloe, but everything's alright."

She spoke like she would to a hurt dog. Like she knew what was best and was desperate to make me know it as well. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you know they were here?"

Out of my peripheral vision, I swear I saw Simon nod his approval. "Healthy dose of paranoia," he said, almost like he was a normal kid just joking around. "That's what Derek would say," He told his friend and she rolled her eyes, like she didn't give a crap about what Derek would say.

Whoever Derek was.

"Well? Did you?" I asked her again, resisting the urge to put my hands on my hips like in some cheesy movie.

She put her head in her hands and muttered, "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I wanted to tell you before the first time they came-"

"Th-there was a first time?" My voice shook a bit and I grit my teeth when I was done speaking. _Stop being such a baby._

Aunt Lauren nodded. "Why don't... why don't we just let Simon here explain."

My heart broke. My own aunt kept a secret about me. She let me live in the dark, let me think I was insane and for what?

I didn't really know the answer, and I wasn't so sure if I wanted to. It was so selfish of her to withhold information that I had every right to know. "Fine," I said, my voice frosty. "Then you can just leave the room right now if you can't think of anything to say."

If she stayed any longer, I'd probably lose it for real. "Okay," She stepped out of the room and I pretended not to care about the way her voice broke.

When the door clicked, I turned to the two teens who shouldn't have been familiar. "Okay. Talk."

"You're a supernatural," The girl said relentlessly, then watched my face. I knew her type. She lived off other people's pain, and I wasn't going to show any kind of reaction to that piece of information, partially because I had no clue what she was talking about.

Simon sighed. "Tori, just let me handle it." She glared at him but motioned for him to start explaining things to me.

"Like Tori said, you're a supernatural." Before I could interrupt, he held up a hand. "You're not... not really _human._ Well, you are, just with a gift."

He was explaining things much more gently, and for that I was grateful. He looked at me expectantly, and I slowly asked, "What are you?"

Abruptly, he grinned at me. His white teeth flashed beneath pale pink lips, and his eyes crinkled a bit at the corners. "You're really something. Wouldn't you like to know what _you_ are?"

"Um, not really," I replied honestly.

He shrugged. "Whatever. I'm a sorcerer," He snapped his fingers and muttered a few words and a weird type of fog rolled in.

It swirled around the furniture until the whole room was coated in a gray-ish white film. He snapped again and slowly, the fog began to sepp out the cracks of the windows. He smiled, clearly pleased with himself.

My mouth was hanging open. "H-how did you...?"

"Some people are just gifted!" He boasted, and I could practically feel his ego growing.

Slowly, my shock was turning to a fearful respect. He was a real sorcerer, with real spells. Who knew what kind of damage he could do?

Somehow, it didn't surprise me. I was almost relieved, in fact. At least I knew for sure that I wasn't crazy, and that I wasn't just seeing things. He really could do things beyond my wildest imagination, things more incredible then my screen-writers mind could conjure.

"Done showing off?" Tori asked snidely, flipping back a piece of short dark hair.

He ignored her question. "She's a witch."

"I've noticed."

Tori turned to face me, mouth open. Then she seemed to think better of it and snarled a few words under her breath. Simon chuckled though. "No, I mean she's _really_ a witch." He leaned over and stage-whispered, "Sometimes to get really in character, she wears a pointy hat."

Again, I knew I should be stunned, but I wasn't. I'd watched her fling weird lightning bolts around and she certainly had the character to pull it off. Boldly, I asked, "Does she use a spell to cover her wart?"

This time, Tori didn't spare me a sharp comment. "I'd stop now seeing as I could kill you like _that_ if I wanted." She smiled sweetly. "And believe me, the idea sounds nice right now."

I didn't doubt it. But Simon did say that I was one of them, with my own powers, so should I fear her? Looking at her almost maniacal grin, I decided that I definitely should.

"We're off-topic," Simon said apologetically.

His face was grim. All of the joking was wiped off his features, to be replaced by something like regret. "The thing is... We kind of have to protect you."

I was used to bodyguards, but a bunch of teenagers? Why in the world would they need to keep me, of all people, safe?I was a politicians daughter, but what did it matter to them?

They couldn't vote, and they must have known about my... schizophrenia that wasn't really schizophrenia, so what use could they get out of using me for popularity when all people thought I was crazy? Did they think that by keeping me safe they'd somehow get a reward?

"P-p-protect? Me?" I pointed to myself dumbly.

"Yeah, you."

"But why?"

Tori's eyes flashed. "I've been wondering the same thing!"

Simon glowered at her before turning back to me. He took in a deep breath. "There are these people out there called The Edison Group. Sound familiar?"

I let the name reverberate throughout my mind, trying to see if it rang any bells. "Yeah, they gave me pills. For my schizophrenia."

Simon's eyes darkened. He shook his head in disgust, and I wondered what was so bad. They were only trying to _help_ me, help me be normal. They even sent someone named Dr. Gill to help me with therapy to control my visions. "The Edison Group is a bunch of supernaturals only... they experiment on other supernaturals. And they want _you._"

My eyes widened. "B-but... why me?"

Kindly, he replied, "They don't have your breed of supernatural. As soon as they saw those papers about your disorder, they knew. And we knew too."

"Then why didn't you _tell_ me? Or help me then?" I snapped.

I could have thought I was okay because not only did my aunt know, but these people did too. And they just let me flounder in my slapped on disorder.

Simon shook his head and murmured, "We wanted to. We tried to, but your aunt didn't want you to know."

"She didn't?"

He sighed. "I think she was afraid that you really would go crazy and kill yourself... like your uncle."

Astonishment washed over me for the umpteenth time that day. "How did you know?"

That piece of news never hit the presses. Aunt Lauren was on my mom's side of the family, and the media cared only about my father. There was no way Simon could have found out.

Unless...

He smiled at me sheepishly and lifted a hand to his head. "We, uh, kind of read your file," Some anger must have shown in my eyes because he grappled for a way to open up the conversation we were previously having. "When Lauren said we couldn't take you with us, help you learn to control your powers, we had someone stationed here."

Someone stationed here...

Immediately, I thought of Rae. The strange way she was always fiercely protective, the way she could never seem to lie because of an integrity burned into her. "Rae?" I voiced my thoughts, hearing surprise in my tone.

Tori nodded, though she just seemed disgusted. "She turned on us," She sneered. "Can't blame her, you're boring as-"

"Just shut up!" Simon roared, and Tori stared at him, unblinking.

He tilted his head back in my direction. "You know those pills they gave you? Well, they were suppressing your powers until they could get ahold of you. And when Rae offered herself to them, she must have switched the pills and gave you ones that not only activated, but _increased_ your powers."

My brow crinkled. "What do you mean, increased?"

He frowned, glancing over at the girl with dark hair. "Why don't you make yourself useful and explain?"

She grinned, and it was not a particularly nice smile. It was that of the cat, and I was the mouse. I lifted my head, determined not to show that she had shaken me. "I'm a witch, and I can cast spells. Only I don't need the spells to do it."

I didn't know what she was saying, and she must have picked up on that because her creepy smile only broadened. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you've been left in the dark about everything. Most spellcasters," She pointed to both her and Simon, "are required to speak certain phrases, often in ancient languages."

Her eyes darkened and her smile gave way, revealing something like fear and anger, with a bit of buried sadness too. Then her walls shot back up and she glanced right at me. "The Edison Group messed me up. I'm almost too powerful, and I don't need those phrases to do magic."

She bit her lip for a second, like she was thinking. "I just... sort of know what to do.

"Hence the way I blasted that energy bolt at your attacker without killing him, something that takes years of practice."

The girl was leaving something out, something that Simon didn't want to tell me. He was looking at her, a thinly veiled warning behind his warm brown eyes. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing you deserve to know," Tori spat, like she'd forgotten she was supposed to hate me then spontaneously remembered again. "Just some... background information that neither of us like too much."

Simon shook his head like Tori had already given too much away. I was getting annoyed that he was keeping something from me, and he sensed that. To appease me, he said, "I can tell you this: they're trying to do the same thing to you. That's their main goal with Project Genesis. Create experiments weaker then normal, like they did to Rae." Sympathetically, he went on, "it was always hard for her, being so far behind. But anyway, if they're not trying to weaken supernaturals, they're, in your case-"

"What, enhance my powers?" A bit of sarcasm crept into my voice. "I don't even know what powers I should have, and I have a feeling that they're the only reason why you want me around."

He stared at me levelly. "What do you mean?"

"What's in it for you? How can I help you?" When he just sat there, frozen, I laughed softly. "It's okay that you want to use me, I'm sure it's for 'the greater good.' I'm used to it anyway. But the point is that I _know_ you're not just helping me out of the goodness of your own heart.

"I'm not stupid. I know that I'd only hinder you, so you must have some ulterior motive. Everyone does, it's one of the things I've learned from directing that I can apply to my life."

He didn't say anything which only made me angry. I was about to snap something else when a deep voice cut in. "You're right."

I jerked my head in the direction of the sarcastic voice. "Give yourself a pat on the back, but you might not want to after this."

He was looming in the corner of the room and I wondered how he'd gotten in without anyone noticing. Or maybe Simon and Tori had both noticed and I was just oblivious.

The next words spoken would change my life forever, and the exact way he said them would be branded into my mind. "You can help us and you _will_ help us because you're a necromancer."

**(A/N) Well, how's that? So now Chloe knows what's going on with everyone else (For the most part) but in the next chapter she's going to learn about herself and a bit more about the rest of the details about their main mission which will be a bit like what was in the books. I know I did change what Project Genesis was, but bear with me!  
**

**Reviews will inspire me to update quickly, pinky promise ;)**


	8. The Accepting

**(A/N) I was really pleased by all the feedback I got last chapter :) Reviews for me are not just a number to add on to my story, they really do make me smile and I'm grateful for each and every one!**

"Stop looking like that," He snapped at me, green eyes flashing.

My mouth was open and I shut it quickly. I wasn't so sure why I was so surprised, but I was. Maybe I was expecting him to tell me I was part witch, only a different kind then Tori. Or maybe I was expecting him to say I was a vampire.

Honestly, I was just expecting him to say I was something in my vocabulary. "What does that mean?"

He glowered at me, though I couldn't understand why. Did this jerk really think I would know what 'necromancer' meant? His stare was intimidating, but I only sat up straighter because there was no way I was letting him bully me.

His eyes flicked over me, like before in the elevator when I'd first met him. As if he was assessing me, and I must not have met his standards because he spoke carefully, like he thought he might be wrong, "You see ghosts."

And then my jaw dropped. Again.

I wanted to say something, tell him to stop looking at me like I was stupid. But I knew that I looked dumb, and I couldn't bring myself to talk. I only blinked hesitantly.

It made sense. I wasn't sure if it was the logical part in me that realized that, or the illogical part. I'd seen people die, seen my own mother who'd slipped away so many years ago.

"Spirit got your tongue?" Tori jabbed.

_That_ I could find a response to. "Just leave me alone!" I shouted at her, though really the words were directed at everyone.

These people had _no right. _They had no right to come into my life and turn it upside down. There was no justice in what they were doing.

Unless of course, they were just joking around. The idea popped into my head and I grinned, unabashed. Of course they were just kidding, I was one of the most famous political kids in the nation, this sort of stuff was bound to happen. It all made sense.

Triumphantly, I demanded, "Okay, where are the cameras?"

The boy's distaste changed into disbelief and then into annoyance. "What, you think this is a joke?"

I stared at him dumbly. "Well, yeah."

He shook his head, eyes sparking in anger. He stood up and got into my face and this time I couldn't help but flinch away. He was just so tall, so broad… Not to mention that there was some weird instinct inside me that screamed _danger, danger, danger!_

But that was ridiculous, I barely knew the guy. I did remember him from the elevator even if my memory failed to remind me of how he was almost frightening. And then I saw him… saw him where?

I frowned as I tried to remember. It was like there was some kind of fog in my head, blocking something from me. I imagined peering into it, glimpsing his looming figure and stepped into the cloud…

Then his impatient grunt interrupted me, breaking me out of my reverie. "You're so—"

"Calm down," Simon said, flashing me an apologetic glance. "She has every right to be confused and overwhelmed."

_Thank you…_ "But," He went on in a gentle, soothing voice, "Derek's right."

This time, my world didn't come crashing down. My thoughts weren't slowed to a screeching stop because ever since the boy who must have been Derek told me the truth, I'd begun accepting those facts.

Ever since I'd seen that first one, at such a young age, I knew what they were. Specters. I only lied to myself, convinced that I had schizophrenia because that was what I had been told and that was far easier to accept. My own aunt lied to me because she didn't know how to deal with me, and apparently being a schizo was much better then being…

A necromancer.

"I don't want him to be right," I whispered softly.

I knew I shouldn't be complaining. Some people would call what I had a gift, but I only saw it as a curse. Magic was something amazing, something that could be controlled and manipulated to benefit the spellcaster. But seeing dead people?

That was hardly something to brag about. And if The Edison Group had been messing around with my powers, who knew what kind of horrifying, creepy things I could do? Judging by what I'd already seen, it couldn't be anything good.

Derek backed away, out of my face. He merely nodded, for a second looking ashamed. Then it was gone, and I knew I must have imagined it. "You're going to have to adjust, and you're going to have to do it fast."

In other words, I'd have to suck it up. I stuck my chin out and asked, "You never answered me, how am I supposed to help you?"

He looked annoyed, and I wondered briefly if he ever _didn't_ look annoyed. "You talk to dead people. People that have been murdered."

"People with valuable information," Simon added.

It took awhile before I understood what they were saying. But eventually, their words were processed and I shook my head in disbelief. "Wait. You want me to speak with ghosts to find out information?"

Simon nodded at me, smiling a bit. "The Edison Group has to be stopped, and we think you can help with that. If we find out their weak points, all it takes is one blow and the whole thing comes crashing down. And it's not like we're completely using you. You'll get something out of it."

"Taking down The Edison Group sounds like a good enough reward to me," I said, clenching my hands into tight little fists.

Everyone glanced down at my hands, all of them looking surprised to some degree. Cautiously, Simon asked, "Why do you say that?"

"They messed us all up, didn't they?"

Tori snorted. "Of course it'd be something like that. You're just the sweetest little thing."

"What is your problem?" Simon demanded.

Tori stared at him levelly and spat, "You _know_ what my problem is with her."

Simon didn't seem to know what to say so he turned back to me. "Well, you'll get to learn more about what you are. None of us really know much about necromancy."

"If you don't know much then how will I learn anything while I'm traveling with you?"

"Thought you didn't need any kind of reward," Tori drawled.

Annoyance flickered in me, but more than that, there was a shame. And sadness. I wasn't sure what I'd done to make her hate me so much, but it really hurt. There was a part of me that wanted her as a friend, no matter how horrible she was.

Simon ignored her. "They say you learn best with hands-on experience," He shrugged. "And I wouldn't blame if you didn't want to practice speaking to the dead on your own."

He flashed me a bright grin and I couldn't help but smile back. He was so charming and easy to get along with; it was hard to be stressed out while I was around him. Plus, the attention from a guy other than Nate didn't really hurt.

Then my mood plummeted just slightly as he informed, "But Derek knows a bit and he can fill you in on some of the basics." I glanced at Derek and noted he didn't look any happier than I felt about that arrangement.

It was almost like he wanted to keep any relationship with me as impersonal as possible. And that was fine by me.

He stared at me. "You see the dead. You talk to the dead. You _might_ be able to raise the dead."

"R-raise?" I stammered.

Derek fixed those piercing eyes on me. "Yeah."

"You mean," I began, voice quivering a bit. I cleared my throat. "You mean like zombies?"

His lips twitched up then fell back into a flat line. I was a little bit surprised, and I reminded myself that he did, in fact, have feelings. "Yeah. Like Simon said, I don't know much." He shrugged.

I nodded. So I could create some insane sort of army of dead people if I wanted to. Then again, I still had no idea how to use any of my powers and I hoped that I'd soon learn something that could be beneficial.

"So," Simon's voice was soft as he asked, "How are you taking all of this in?"

I bit down on my lip. "I guess what sucks the most is that I've been lied to," I whispered.

I looked at the closed door and felt a pang of sadness run down my spine. It hurt so much to know that Aunt Lauren couldn't even tell me the truth about who I was, about what I could do. Maybe if only I'd known, I could have controlled my powers a little bit more.

And then maybe The Edison Group wouldn't have gotten the chance to mess with me.

His eyes were swimming with empathy. "Don't worry, Chloe. Everything's gonna work out."

**(A/N) This chapter was pretty hard to write and as a result is a little on the short side, but at least I updated quickly!**

**Next chapter: They go over exactly how they're going to protect Chloe, Chloe recognizes Derek from the alley, and more ;D**


	9. The Recognizing

**(A/N) I'm trying really hard to update this weekly… So imagine my dismay when I had this chapter all typed and then FORGOT TO SAVE IT. GOSH DANGIT. Sorry everyone, but it took me awhile to get over being pissed at myself :P  
**

"I sure hope everything will work out," I replied, suddenly tired. My eyelids were growing heavy, and I could feel them closing until I blinked sharply, trying to keep myself awake.

Simon looked at me and said confidently, "It will. We'll make sure you're safe."

"But how?" I half-snapped. "Are you going to watch me all the time? Follow me into the bathroom?"

He grinned. "That's Tori's job."

I rolled my eyes, frustrated. I didn't like feeling so helpless, like I couldn't take care of myself.

Though maybe it was right for them to be treating me the way they were. My whole life I'd been told what to do, what to say, and evidently, how to think. Was I even capable of acting on my own, let alone keeping myself out of harm's reach? Probably not.

"Unfortunately," Tori muttered. "I'm going to bed." She walked away angrily.

"Casting spells can wear us out," Simon informed. "And trust me, you don't want to be around Tori when she's tired." He made a motion like he was slicing off his neck and I smiled.

"You never really answered my question. How are you going to keep me safe, exactly?"

Simon frowned, like he hadn't wanted to talk about this. "Well, one of us is going to be with you at all times. We're going to find you a necromancer at some point so you can learn how to control your powers if you can't figure it out on your own."

"That's really nice but," I bit my lip, "how is that supposed to help me be safe?"

Derek laughed darkly. "You'd be surprised at how your biggest threat can be yourself."

I was about to ask him what he meant when he turned those bright green eyes on me. Derek frowned a bit. "Do you need to go to sleep?" He asked gruffly, like he wasn't used to catering to other people's needs very often.

"No, I think I'm-" My words were swallowed up by a loud yawn. I covered my mouth the way Aunt Lauren always told me to. When I was finished sucking in oxygen, I laughed just a bit and said, "Yeah, maybe I do."

I headed for the stairs. Easily taking them two at a time, the sound of loud footsteps reached my ears. When I got to the top of the staircase, I saw Aunt Lauren peeping out of her bedroom. Her face was tear-stained, and she sniffled, "Chloe?"

Maybe it was really mean of me, but I brushed past her into my own room. I was too hurt to talk to her, and I knew I'd only say something I'd later regret. My on heart began to ache though, when she only whispered that if I wanted to talk she'd be willing to listen.

I closed the door and heard it click. I tugged off my clothes in the dark and pulled on a pair of polka-dot sleep shorts and a lime green camisole before climbing into bed.

For awhile, I stared at the ceiling. My room was elaborately decorated, and my ceiling had those little glowing star stickers leftover from when my mom stuck them there. I couldn't bring myself to peel them off.

They seemed to be spinning, hypnotizing me. It was easy to let myself get lost in the strange illusion then to think about all that had been happening to me lately.

The stars were growing brighter. They swarmed in, closer to my face and I tried to lift my hand up to drowzily poke at them but my arm was too heavy. My eyelids fluttered shut, and the last image I saw before blacking out were the stickers burned on my eyelids.

* * *

I was running faster then I'd thought possible. I was never very good at sprinting, but at that second I could've easily given any Olympic star some serious competition.

Something was chasing me. Something bad, something _horrible_. Something that would do horrible things to me if they caught up with me.

Strangely, I didn't grow tired. I seemed to be full of unending energy which was good because the other people certainly didn't seem to be slowing down. I pushed myself even harder, finding that my legs moved fluidly and without pain.

A loud noise that sounded almost like a grunt came from behind me and I tried not to squeal. The noise was human, but wrong, like it was recorded and messed with on my favorite movie-editing program I got last Christmas.

Just a short time later, a moan reached my ears. "Chloe..."

That was when the real terror set in. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, the kind that came only with being scared for your life. The urge to scream had never been so strong, but I couldn't even give myself that closure.

It was like living in a horror movie, the kind that haunts you years after the first and only time you ever watch it.

"Chloe..."

I jerked in fear before commanding my body to go faster. Still, I didn't grow tired. Unfortunately, my pursuers didn't either.

"Please, Chloe..."

_Faster, faster, _I told myself. I couldn't let them catch me, I just couldn't.

Because this was a dream, and no one could protect me here but myself.

"Chloe..." The voice groaned again. "We just need your help, Chloe."

Every time he spoke my name, chills crept up my spine. The noises and crying got louder until I was certain there were more people then before. "We're getting angry, Chloe."

I wanted to shout at him that I didn't care, but I knew I couldn't waste the time. I had to go faster or they might catch up with me. So I kept going, legs pumping furiously as the chase went on.

Everything continued like that for awhile. Me running away from the horrible moaning creatures.

Until one caught me. Long, spindly fingers of a piano player were clasped grotesquely on my shoulder. But something wasn't right. There was no flesh, just _bone._

With one came others. Their hands were grasping all parts of my body, touching me like my body was theirs and not mine. I tried kicking them off but they only got mad and applied more pressure, making me cry out in pain.

"We'll _make_ you help us." The leader hissed.

Then they all whispered eerily, "Chloe..."

So I screamed.

* * *

I knew that the shrieking was coming from me and it was awful. It was high-pitched, a sound full of sheer terror. My body started shaking from the exertion of kicking out with the sheets tangled around me and I had to clamp a hand around my mouth.

When the noise finally died down, I pinched myself just to make sure that I was awake. When I found that I was, I pulled on a sweatshirt and sweatpants laying at the foot of my bed over my pajamas.

Half-way through brushing my hair, an act that strangely seemed to calm me, my door burst open. I froze mid-stroke and was about to summon another awful scream for a person to come save me when the person shouted out, asking if I was okay.

Before I could muster up the courage to answer the person I thought to be Derek, someone else came in with a loud torrent of spells leaving their mouth. Light flickered on in my room, though it wasn't quite natural and had no real source.

I saw Simon, Tori, and Derek all looking around my room. I knew what they were seeing.

No one was there. Nothing was moved or disturbed. Everything was perfect. So why was I screaming?

Apparently, Derek was wondering the same thing and had no problems rudely demanding, "What the hell?"

"I-I-I..." I took in a deep breath. "I had a nightmare," My voice was throaty and hoarse.

Tori shot me a withering look, full of condescending disbelief. "You woke us up over a _dream?_ Are you _kidding_ me?" When I said nothing she glowered. "I'm going back to bed." She muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like psychopath.

She slammed my door shut before I could say anything. Derek lifted his eyebrows at me as if to say that he was thinking the same thing as Tori. "I had a dream. About... about zombies. All over me. Th-they just w-wouldn't g-g-go." My voice was quivering by the end of my sentence.

Derek put on a face of patience but it was false. I felt like a child being told that there was no such thing as monsters under the bed and resisted the urge to cry or yell at him. "Then you better hope you never see them in real life."

Despite the harshness of which he spoke, I couldn't help but agree with him. What would I do if a situation like that would arrive? Ask them nicely to leave?

Simon walked over to the light fixture in my room and clicked it on. The magical light faded with a few murmured words and he sat down on the bed next to me. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Shuddering, I shook my head. I didn't ever want to relive that horror. "I'm sorry," I murmured as I felt my cheeks heat up.

He yawned and said, "Part of the job."

"To what, hold my hand when I had a bad dream? Don't think that's what you were signing up for."

He grinned at me then, somehow seeming more awake as his eyes lit up. "Well, somebody's gotta do it and I don't see you reaching for Tori anytime soon."

I laughed at him and then an awkward silence spread over us. I was about to say thank you to him for coming to my rescue and being so great about everything when I remembered that Simon wasn't the first one in the room.

Derek was. I turned to him and asked curiously, "Hey, how'd you get in here so fast?"

He seemed a little bit taken aback by the question. "I always have a plan. Had to be ready in case someone attacked at night," He grunted. Then he glanced over at Simon, a warning in his eyes. "And I guess I'm just used to it."

For a second I was confused at what he could have been implying before I realized that maybe he really did mean protecting me. Sifting through my memories was much easier as I thought back to that night in the alley.

Those green eyes were watching me. No, not watching me, watching _out_ for me.

Glancing at Derek in present time, something emanated from him that told me he could take on just about anything that was threatening me. "You really were there," I whispered in awe.

So I wasn't going crazy.

He nodded and looked kind of awkward as my blue eyes continued to widen. "Would've been there in the forest but Tori-" He cut himself off to mutter some not particularly nice words about her, "insisted on taking over."

"She _let_ me be attacked? She was there the whole time and watched me get assaulted?"

I knew I shouldn't have been so shocked. There was in no way I would ever be best friends with Tori, at least, not with the way things were looking at that moment, but was she really cruel enough to endanger me?

Derek cussed a few more times. "Couldn't have lost our only necromancer."

Simon shot him a look. Then, to my surprise, he stuck up for her. "Her magic comes in handy."

Derek made an odd noise. I looked at him weirdly and noticed it was a repressed laugh. I blinked. So he really _did_ have a soul. "Yeah, like when she made Chloe all doped up in the alley."

"She made me get high too?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

The blonde shook his head in exasperation. "Apparently, she made you less freaked out after seeing Derek. And apparently, she amped up the magic a little bit too much." But then something like approval flashed in his eyes. "Sounded pretty weird from what I heard because you seemed to be trying to resist her magic even though she said she was giving it her all."

Derek nodded, black hair shifting across his forehead as he did so. "After that we decided to have a chat with your aunt."

"Before that you were watching out of me? Since I saw you in the hallway?"

Again he nodded, more hesitantly. Gratitude spread throughout my body, a warm sensation that sparked from my head to my toes. I beamed without really knowing it and Derek blinked at me. "Thank you."

He grunted. "Now go to bed," He said in a voice that suggested he didn't feel like having any more heart to heart conversations.

And to my surprise, I felt just a little bit disappointed.

**(A/N) So I figured I'd explain that this chapter name is not saying that Chloe is recognizing them as in, "I've seen them before," But more that she's recognized just who they are and that they will protect her :)**

**You know what I just realized? All of the events that have happened so far occurred in ONE day... see what I was saying about having the same pacing as the books? Haha :P**

**For those of you who think the Chlerek is progressing a little bit too quickly: remember I only have about fifty chapters to write this, and the whole story is only going to take place in the course of maybe 1-2 weeks. Also, once Chloe begins to actually trust Derek, their friendship/relationship really does seem to improve, and they've already established that trust.**

**Though not to worry, there will still be PLENTY of tension and squabbling that we all love ;)  
**

**Yeah. I think this is long enough... feedback, please?  
**


	10. The Briefing

**(A/N) Play stuff is finally over! After people missing dress rehearsals, people getting trampled by horses and unable to make the final performance, and being around people I just don't like; it's nice to just be able to sit back and write for you guys :) Yay!**

Derek backed out of the room. He shut the door with a bit more force then necessary before cracking it open again. "I mean it," He growled. "Go to bed."

"Do you really think I can sleep after that dream?" I asked him, somewhat incredulously. Even this guy had to know that after a nightmare, one doesn't just go back to bed.

He looked at me like I was incredibly stupid, which I didn't appreciate one bit. "Why not?"

"Not all of us are brave like you," I snapped at him. For a second, surprise flared in his gaze, followed by anger.

"No one ever said I'm brave," He responded coldly, eyes hardening into glittering emeralds.

I drew myself up to as tall as I could stand (which wasn't saying much, mind you). "Yeah? Then why can't you understand that I'm-"

_Scared._

I didn't say it, and I didn't have to.

The past day had been absolutely insane. So much had changed, and I would never be the same person I used to be. I wasn't sure if that was what I wanted, but I did know that if I wouldn't even be able to sleep because I was afraid of my own powers then this new life wasn't what I dreamed of.

Curling my hands into fists, I stated, "Everyone's afraid of something, so I'm sure you know what it's like."

He glowered at me, taking a step forward. Something screamed at me that he was dangerous, and I wasn't very sure if that was really illogical or very smart. I'd always been paranoid, and one to listen to my gut instinct, and my intuition was yelling at me to get out.

So I took a step back.

And so did he.

I can't describe the look on his face when I stumbled away. It was maybe a little bit stunned, maybe a little bit unkind, maybe a little bit reprimanding, but mostly he looked ashamed. He tripped because he left the room so fast.

Suddenly I was the one who felt bad.

In that moment I realized something. He was used to it. He was used to stirring up fear in people and I couldn't begin to imagine what that must be like. To not be able to lean toward someone without them getting frightened.

It wasn't his fault he was big. It wasn't his fault he was intimidating

It _was_ his fault that he seemed to embrace this and throw his weight around, but maybe that was the only thing he knew how to do. The only way he could reason with people.

I wanted to talk to him. Learn what it was that he never seemed to tell me, what everyone in that little group was keeping from me, certain it was about Derek.

He was a mystery. I didn't know what kind of supernatural he was, and I didn't know what his past was, but there was something, or he wouldn't have looked so wounded and angry when I flinched.

Simon sighed, and I jumped because I'd forgotten he was there. For a second I thought he was going to chide my, but the look in his eyes was sympathetic. He glanced at the door, still looking empathetic, and I knew he wouldn't take sides. "Sorry about that. Takes things way too seriously."

"I think a lot of people could use some of that… determination," I told him, trying not to get too worked up or emotional.

He laughed, but he sounded troubled. He looked troubled too, his easy smile fading after his chuckling ended. "Yeah, if that's what you wanna call it."

I lifted an eyebrow. "What would _you_ call it?"

"He's pushy. Annoying as hell sometimes. Stubborn, like a pit bull," His lips twisted up ironically, and I blinked in confusion. He caught my look and cleared his throat. "But in any case, he doesn't really mean anything bad. He's a good guy, for the most part."

I looked down at my carpeted floor. "I assume you're going to tell me why he is the way he is."

Of course I was being sarcastic. After all, it'd be _way_ too much like the movies if I could find out Derek's deep dark secret - one that I was sure he was hiding - after just one moment of understanding.

Still, a part of me was hoping for that exact thing to happen.

He shook his head. "Nope," He declared, "sorry, Chloe, but you're gonna have to ask him." Then he paused. "Never mind, don't ask him."

At first, I was only hurt. Then those feelings transformed.

The way he said it stirred something unfamiliar inside me. At school, I was never one to care about the drama that occurred. I guess I just felt as if it wasn't really my business, so I didn't ask. Not that anyone would tell the psycho girl what was going on anyway, so it all worked out in the end.

In any case, I had the burning desire to just know. To know what Derek was because it was clear he didn't plan on telling me anytime soon. To know why he was so closed off. And it wasn't anything about him, surprisingly, it was just the feeling of being left out and unwanted.

Finally, after surveying Simon and taking in his pleading eyes that begged me not to ask a question he wouldn't answer, I said, "Well, I wasn't planning on it, but now you've made me curious."

"He might tell you someday," He didn't really believe it though. He sounded disbelieving of his own words.

I shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me," I lied.

In all honesty, I cared more than I really should have. I guess it just hurt because I trusted them. Granted, I didn't have much of a choice, but my life was literally in their hands, and they couldn't even tell me something that in my eyes was something I deserved to know. So even though I put my faith in them, they didn't put theirs in me.

I'd be on the outside, just like always.

_Do you really think that anyone would spill something so big after you first met them?_ The logical voice in my mind spoke.

I scowled. Of course I didn't really think that... only maybe I did. Just a little bit.

"He's more on edge then he usually is," Simon said. He was talking in a tone so hushed, I could barely make out what he was saying. He spoke carefully, like he wasn't sure how much he could tell me. "We both miss someone."

"Mind telling me who?"

He frowned. "It's our dad."

"Wait, you guys are brothers?" My brow furrowed. Then I felt a warm blush spread over my face as I realized how badly that came out.

Derek was tall and had a muscular build, with long dark hair the fell into green eyes. Simon, on the other hand, was a bit short as most Asians are, with blonde hair and warm brown eyes. They were as much opposites on the outside as on the inside.

"O-oh. Never mind," I blurted out, wishing all those etiquette lessons I'd taken hadn't gone out the window. "What happened to him?" I was probably still prying and was about to take that back too, but I quickly discovered that I wanted to know.

Simon shrugged, trying to look nonchalant but failing. Frustration blazed across his face. "We don't know," He said through clenched teeth, eyes narrowing at an empty space in my room.

Abruptly, he punched the nearest thing to him. It happened to be one of my throw pillows. Feathers seeped out of the sack and fluttered to the ground, like they were trying to escape Simon's random outburst. "Sorry." He didn't look very sorry, but I didn't mind. Much.

My voice came out weak. "Th-that's o-okay." First Derek, then Simon. I just hoped the second wouldn't get as offended.

He rubbed his eye sockets with his hands before letting them fall to his sides with a loud smack. "Guess he's not the only one on edge."

Clearing my throat, I said stronger, "Guess not."

"I know you're gonna ask. He's my biological dad. Derek's adopted."

I flushed again, ducking my head in shame. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," He said with a smile. "We're both used to it by now."

It was quiet again. I fiddled with a pen, clicking the top. The noise filled the air.

Finally, Simon spoke again. "We have to find him. It's the only way to bring down the Edison Group."

I nodded. "If I can do anything..."

He shook his head. "Just let us take care of it."

For a second I felt annoyed. I could certainly do _something_. Then I realized he was just looking out for me and I shouldn't have been so irritated.

He cleared his throat. "If you want, I can do a spell, make you fall asleep."

I looked at my bed longingly. "That'd be great, but the dreams are just so bad."

"You won't have any," He told me confidently, a cocky lilt to his voice.

Eagerly, I nodded. "Then that would be amazing."

Walking swiftly, I jumped on my bed. I giggled like a little girl, and Simon smiled in amusement. I twisted so I was laying on my side.

Simon murmured a few words. My eyelids were so heavy...

For a second, something in me tried to resist. It was almost like because I knew magic was being worked on me, I should fight it off.

"Relax," Simon breathed, sounding very close to me. I jumped, bringing me half-way out of my trance.

He chuckled. "Skittish as a cat."

His chanting started again, and this time I didn't try to resist. I let myself be tugged under the tide of magic lapping at my consciousness and drifted away into a welcomed dreamless sleep.

**(A/N) Hope you liked :)**


	11. The Preparing

**(A/N) So this is the last chapter before they actually start to go on their way trying to find Kit. This could be considered filler, but honestly, it's a pretty important chapter as far as character development goes.**

**I am going to be tweaking a few things (otherwise this chapter wouldn't really be necessary), but be warned that you'll probably already know most of the information from the books.**

"Chloe!" Someone shouted. "Chloe!"

_Go away,_ I thought back, rolling over and pulling my pillow over my head. The next scream was slightly more muffled, thank God, because the girl's shrieking was getting annoying. More yelling, but I hardly even noticed as I fell back asleep.

Then it hit me. Not, it _literally_ hit me. Icy cold water seeped through my pillow and covers causing me to shoot out of my bed, shivering. Just when I was about to ask what was going on, more water slammed into me, this time going inside my parted mouth and trickling down my throat.

I stifled a swear word and squinted, trying to see who was subjecting me to such torture. And more water hit me, right in the eyes. "I-i-i-i-i-it's s-s-s-s-s-so c-c-c-c-c-cold!" I almost grimaced. The freezing water definitely wasn't helping my stutter.

Tori smirked at me. "That's kinda the point, idiot." She snapped her fingers and more water was about to hit me when I lifted my pillow, feeling the impact of the water pound into my shield.

"Wh-wh-wh-what was th-th-that f-f-for?"

She shrugged, inspecting a perfectly manicured nail. "Well, I shouted twice and you didn't get up."

I waited for her to say something about why we she felt the need to wake me up at - I glanced at a clock - six in the morning. Of course, she didn't, so I asked.

"We're going shopping today."

My eyes widened with horror. I could practically hear the insults she'd fling at me, making fun of me menacingly for my flat chest and non-existed hips. She glanced down at my body like she was thinking the exact same thing. "Wh-wh-why?"

She gave me a "duh" look. "You see, darling, when you go on a trip, you tend to need to get ready. And when you're getting ready to move God only knows how far, you tend to need to buy a lot of stuff. Shopping."

"Y-y-you and me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Would you stop stuttering, it's _so_ annoying. If you can't even form a sentence, don't bother talking at all." Her words hit me hard. I felt my heart drop and I swallowed the lump in my throat. Satisfied, she said, "Anyway, Simon and Derek will be coming. They don't trust me alone with you, imagine that!"

"Yeah, im-m-magine that." I winced outwardly this time, curing my stupid speech disability. I could see dead people but couldn't even speak right.

"Get dressed, we're leaving in ten."

Which meant I couldn't do my make-up or hair. Probably just what she wanted, for me to embarrass myself by going out in public sopping wet. She left the room and I wasted no time sliding into a pair of double zero skinny jeans and an extra small green striped top.

Yanking a brush through my hair, I squeaked once as I combed the wet knots. I didn't even glance in the mirror, knowing I probably looked awful. I dashed down the stairs and grabbed my cell phone.

"The princess is finally ready," Tori commented lazily.

Derek frowned. "Coming from the one that took fifteen minutes deciding what to wear." For just a second my heart leaped at him defending me. Then I realized he was probably just taking any opportunity to lash out at Tori, not that I blamed him.

Tori flushed angrily and looked ready to fight back when Simon interrupted their silent war, "Okay, let's get going!"

"Where to?" I asked.

Simon looked at Derek who shrugged. "We can get the basics first. Energy bars, cash, a backpack for Chloe-"

"I have a backpack!" I protested at the last item he listed.

He glanced at me, like he'd forgotten I was there despite the fact that I'd literally just spoken. He was just so rude, he made my skin crawl...

_Remember, Chloe, you were going to be nicer to him. _

Right. Nicer. It wasn't easy though with what he said next. "I doubt you have anything that can actually hold up being on the run."

I snickered. "You make it sound like we'll be outlaws or something."

Dead silence. Derek looked at me, giving me _that_ look, the one that said "she's so sheltered she has no idea what life is really like", the one I'd gotten used to receiving. "Chloe," He said, like he was losing his patience, "we're running away from psychotic supernaturals. It's not glamorous like in your stupid movies, and it's not some adventure." He glared for good measure. "It's not fun, and it's not easy-"

"Don't patronize me like I'm a child!" I snapped. "I knew what I was getting into."

Or did I? Could I have really understood just what I was diving into? I was pampered, and I knew it, so what could I understand about life outside of my bubble? Not much.

Derek turned to Simon, exasperation written on his face. "I can't deal with her right now. You take her."

Like I was a dog he got sick of training. "Fine with me," I muttered under my breath. His head spun to me for a split second like he'd heard what I said. But that couldn't have been right, not even Simon, who was standing right next to me could have understood my mumblings.

Simon shot his brother a pointed glance and said, "I think I should go with Tori. Wouldn't want you two to kill each other." Tori sniffed at that but didn't say anything snarky for once.

Derek didn't reply only started walking ahead. I stood, not sure where to go. Finally, he turned back and looked at me. "Does that mean I'm supposed to go with him?"

"Yeah," Simon replied coolly.

Trudging a bit, I walked forward. It wasn't that I didn't want to spend time with Derek. But he clearly didn't want to be around me, and it's not so nice feeling unwanted.

We walked. Or, more accurately, he power walked. He was much faster than me, it seemed like he thought if he went quick enough I'd just disappear. Well, I'd show him.

I had to practically skip to keep up with him my legs were that much shorter. Once I almost tripped, and he jutted a hand out to steady me before jerking back so quickly I really did fall. I landed on my butt before calmly picking myself up and dusting my rear end.

Part of me was always hoping he'd speak up. I kept waiting for him to say anything, even if it was a scathing comment because then maybe I could generate some respect toward me if I came up with a snappy reply. He never talked, and all my retorts were wasted.

Finally we got to a store, and I'd never admit it to him, but my legs were burning. We had to have walked at least five miles with no breaks, and I tried to regulate my breathing though he looked at me disdainfully like he could hear how quickly I was taking in oxygen.

"Wal-Mart?" I asked, trying not to sound too angry.

He eyed me scornfully. "Lots of normal people go here. Not all of us have rich politician dads."

"Is that what you think of me? That I'm some snobby girl that won't wear anything not designer?" Part of me was hurt but I wasn't really surprised. Tons of people assumed that about me so it wasn't anything new even if it wasn't true.

He didn't answer but that was enough of a reply. I stormed past him, ignoring the cheerful lady that said, "Hi, welcome to Wal-Mart!"

I couldn't hear Derek but suddenly he was right beside me. I couldn't help it as I jumped about a foot in the air. He took the lead, dragging me along to the sections we needed to go. He grabbed a bunch of stuff, not needing a basket because his arms were so massive.

In an attempt to bridge the awkwardness between us, I asked in my most cheerful voice, "Do you need me to carry anything?"

He shook his head after giving me a once over. Annoyed again, I didn't try to offer any help again. If he thought I couldn't handle carrying supplies then that was just fine.

After awhile, he swore. "Something wrong?"

"No, I'm just cussing for fun." A few people in the store glared at him, whispering amongst themselves. He scowled and a few of them actually put their hands on their purses and herded their children away. "Why not give people more reason to assume I'm a delinquent?" A shadow passed over his eyes when he said that, and for a second I felt sorry for him.

I tried again. "_What's_ wrong?"

"Should've asked Simon if he wanted me to pick anything up."

Tugging my cellphone out of my pocket, I asked, "You want me to call him?"

He shook his head. "Don't have phones. Too easy to track." In other words, I should probably get rid of mine too. I repressed a groan.

"Well, he'll probably come here after us," I assured him. He shrugged. "Don't worry, he's a smart guy, I'm sure if he needs something he can make it out here on his own."

Derek shrugged again, green eyes glinting. "Sure, he's smart. Not very responsible though."

I remembered something he'd mentioned in passing. "Right. You're the planner."

"Someone has to be."

Tipping my head to the side, I questioned, "What do you mean?" Derek grunted noncommittally, so I prompted, "We have to get to know each other better sometime."

He frowned, like he couldn't stand the thought of me saying something logically. After a pause, he said, "Simon doesn't look after himself, so I watch out for both of us."

Honestly, I found that hard to believe. He was so prickly, for lack of a better word. I couldn't imagine him caring enough about anyone to try and protect them, yet it was something that seemed almost natural to him. Like the way he was the first one in my room last night, or the way he caught me instinctively when I stumbled.

"Guess that makes you a good brother."

He glanced at me. "Guess so."

The conversation was dying, but I didn't want it to. After all, I didn't _want_ Derek to hate me, and he was actually treating me almost like an equal for a nice change. So, in desperation, I blurted, "If you and Simon are brothers, why are you with Tori? I mean, obviously you don't like her very much, and Simon doesn't really seem to either..."

"He and Tori are brother and sister."

For a second, I was even more shocked then when Simon said he and Derek were brothers. I could see the friendship between the two guys, but Simon and Tori? They just seemed to get on each others' nerves so much it was amazing that they could be in the same room and make it out alive.

I blinked once, then twice. "Oh," Was all I could think to say. "Oh," I said again.

"Yeah."

I could almost see it, why Rae would want to leave. It must've been so hard being in a group that had all of their personal relationships worked out, her just being an outcast. Would that be what it was like with me too?

"Time to checkout?" I asked, noticing that Derek was making his way to the front of the store. He nodded, and we got to the registers.

The items were being ringed up and I didn't really want to talk anymore. Part of me was feeling even more left out then before, and part of me was grateful to have everything all worked out. I grabbed the heaviest bag before Derek could protest and carried it before he could say anything. He lifted his eyebrows and I only stared at him challengingly.

He shook his head, muttering something and we began the long trek back to my home.

**(A/N) Chapter name meaning: preparing Chloe by obviously getting supplies, but also by preparing her mentally so she'd know what she was really heading into. Reviews are loved almost as much as my little brother!**

**(By the way, sorry if my little explanations are making you feel dumb. I've been told that my mind is a very weird place, so I just want to make sure we're all on the same page :P)  
**


	12. The Embarking

**(A/N) Sorry, I think that this was kind of on the late side… I've had a lot going on at school and haven't had all that much time to write :/ I'll also be out of town next week, so I will not be able to update.  
**

The next morning was, in a word, hectic. People were running around the place trying to get ready for the trip we were going to take. No one was really sure how long we were going to be gone, and Derek was being extremely OCD to make sure we had everything we could ever need.

"Are you _sure_ you packed the—"

Tori snapped up, eyes blazing, and Derek actually didn't say anything. "Derek, I swear on my _life_ if you finish that question you won't speak ever again."

I had been sitting, watching the craziness, but couldn't resist saying something at the latest addition to the madness. "She wouldn't," I muttered under my breath, half in awe, half in repulsed shock.

Derek shook his head and grumbled, "Yeah, she would."

And surprisingly enough, he didn't finish his question. "Are you guys always this crazy?"

He shook his head again, dark hair swishing across his face. "Not really." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Just stressed."

I spared a glance at Aunt Lauren, and for a second I forgot I was mad at her and rolled my eyes. She grinned at me brightly, and a smile of my own made its way to my lips. She tried to help before, but Derek brushed her off coldly and she hadn't tried to interfere again.

He brushed me aside too. I offered any help I could give, but he didn't seem to want it. Maybe it was a pride thing, or maybe he really did think that just because he had to protect me I was completely useless.

It was more than slightly offensive, but I was slowly getting used to it. He wasn't mean to just me, it seemed to be something in his nature. I'd watched him actually smile at Simon, actually joke around, but it seemed that his brother was the only one to see that side of him. Part of me said that he wasn't worth it, and another part of me wanted to see that side too.

I wanted people to like me. It was something that had always been in my nature. And for the most part, I tended to fly under the radar. People stayed away from the crazy girl, they didn't want to mess with me because they thought I'd go nuts and literally kill them but who wants to befriend an insane chick?

Someone snapped in front of my face. I stumbled back, hand groping for the table that was behind me. I steadied myself and asked Tori, "Yeah?"

"I think we're ready to go if you're not too busy daydreaming."

We were ready to go? Finally? I wasn't sure if I should have been excited or disappointed, so I kept my voice neutral as I said, "I'm ready whenever you guys are."

Her upper lip curled. "How... nice."

She turned and walked over to where Derek and Simon were conversing. I couldn't really catch what they were saying, and I figured I wasn't necessary in their conversation. Didn't seem like I ever would be.

So instead, I walked to Aunt Lauren. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and she fished around in her pocket. She pulled out a piece of cloth and wiped at her eyes, smearing the saline across her face.

I hugged her after a moment's hesitation. I couldn't stay angry at her, not when I didn't know when I'd see her again and not when she didn't know if I'd see her again _at all_. She twined her arms around me, stroked my hair, and whispered how sorry she was.

"Maybe if I told you, you wouldn't have to leave."

I was buried in her shoulder when she told me that, so I pulled away to tell her, "It'll be good for me. It's scary leaving, but I know I have to. I have to learn about who and what I am if I ever want to pretend to be normal." With a glance over at the huddled group of people, I added, "And if I ever want to come home for good, then I have to get rid of the thing that threatens me. I have to help them get rid of the Edison Group."

More tears fell from her eyes. "I'm so proud of you." A muffled sob escaped her, and I smiled. It was supposed to be reassuring, but when my own eyes began to water, the expression fell from my face.

She rotated and said, "You have to take care of her. You have to."

Everyone faced her. Surprisingly, it wasn't Simon who answered, but Derek. "We will." So much determination, like Simon had said. I couldn't help but believe him, he was so confident. But not so confident he was cocky, more like he knew exactly how to execute a flawless plan and he knew that logic never lied.

I realized then that Simon wasn't the leader of that group. It was Derek. Simon was the talker, the one who communicated, but it was through Derek.

Simon cleared his throat after a long pause. "We need to go."

Aunt Lauren nodded. She pulled me into one more embrace before releasing me. "I love you," I murmured, glad that I could put away my anger for just that moment.

"I love you, too."

* * *

We didn't go very far. Maybe a mile away from my house before we stopped. "What are we doing?"

Derek gestured to Simon. "He's going to try to cast this locater spell, so that maybe we can find our dad."

I fell silent and watched. I don't know what exactly I was waiting for, maybe some weird herbs to be pulled out or a hat to be worn, but I was expecting _something_. But it wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be.

Simon just stood, chanting something that sounded like it did make sense even though I couldn't understand it. Definitely a different language. His face was strained, and I wondered how it was that just a few words could make him so exhausted.

Sweat dripped off his nose but he didn't open his eyes. He didn't stop moving his hands, either. He just kept chanting.

I glanced around. I didn't like where we were. It was in a forest, like the one I'd gotten attacked in. It made me uneasy and jumpy.

The woods was black, with a shadow moving about. It looked almost like a person, but I knew that couldn't have been right. Just some weird bird probably.

I turned my attention back to Simon when he stopped chanting. He cussed, rather loudly and explicitly. "Nothing," He finally said, once his stream of oaths stopped. "usually I get a tiny tug or something, but this time, there was just nothing."

Derek frowned. Really, he scowled, lines etching onto his face like they'd been there far too often. After awhile, his face smoothed out and he said, "Then we go with plan B."

"You actually planned for this?"

He just glanced over at Simon and snorted. Simon grinned in response, but then Simon turned to me and informed, "Remember? Obsessive planner?"

"Talking about me again? Nothing better to do than gossip? God, you're such a girl," He muttered, half sarcastic, half serious.

Tori shot him a pointed look. "Yeah, like you couldn't hear what they were saying anyway." The look she got in response was enough to make Tori shudder and look away. "Anyway," She directed at me, "apparently it's time to find some guy, Andrew."

"Andrew?" I questioned, tipping my head.

Derek jerked his head in a sharp bob. "Yeah. Friend of the family."

"Friend to all supernaturals, actually," Simon corrected. "He might be able to help us find Dad. Oh, and maybe a necromancer teacher." The last bit was half-hearted, and I was reminded again that I wasn't as important as their dad. Understandable.

"Let's go to New York," Derek said, sounding so unenthusiastic I almost wanted to laugh at him. But something told me that if I did, it probably wouldn't go over too thought made any smile making its way to my face fall away.

How would I be able to survive an extended amount of time with people I couldn't even be myself around?

**(A/N) Alright, so I just wanted to clear something up. As I've mentioned, this story is going to share SIMILAR plots with the books. The first part is now over, the part that was like The Summoning in the way it was just giving you a taste of the main plot while introducing characters. The next 20-ish chapters are going to be like The Awakening - trying to get to Andrew so they can take down the Edison Group (with a few twists, of course). Then, the last part will be bringing down The Edison Group - sort of like The Reckoning.**

**Yep, that's it. So, reviews? It's almost my birthday, so it'd be super awesome if I could get ten reviews for this chapter :)**

**Up next: Guest appearance from our favorite neglectful parent, we find out why Tori's so mean, a bit about Rae, and it's basically just the final chapter of character development for awhile with a bit of action, nothing major though.  
**


	13. The Reasoning

**(A/N) Yes, I'm late, please don't be too mad! I meant to write this last week but I didn't have any inspirations and I was feeling kinda lazy, but then I got someone else into the Darkest Powers series so I got excited again, ha.**

**To anyone who is still saying this is moving slowly: I know it seems like it is because of my updating pattern, but when you look back, this is moving at about the same pace as a **_**novel **_**which is the feel I'm going for. I guess that would be fixed by me updating faster… meh.**

**To anyone asking about Clerek: It's coming. Romance isn't romance if there isn't tension, Chloe and Derek have an interesting relationship that I will be showcasing soon. Patience is key. If anyone asks me again, I'm redirecting you to this author's note ;)**

It wasn't easy being away from home. We were only headed to the nearest bus station, a four hour walk according to Derek and Simon. It really wasn't as bad as it sounded, they promised me, but it felt horrible.

Not because we were traveling by foot. I understood where that was necessary, I didn't want my aunt to be more involved then she had to be. And I'd be lying if I said that Derek and Simon fully trusted her. I asked them earlier why they were so suspicious of her. Gently, Simon replied, "She didn't let us take you with us before. So you ended up being attacked."

Then Derek cut in harshly, "If she was smart, she would have caved before. It was stupid of her to risk your own life for personal benefits."

I wasn't stupid. I could see where they were going with it. They thought if Aunt Lauren drove, she'd convince me to turn around. It wouldn't have worked, but who knew who Aunt Lauren would tell about where we were going? There was a chance, however slim, that crazy theories about a vice-presidential candidate's daughter running on a rampage would leak thanks to her, which would make it impossible to travel.

And that would endanger not only me, but Tori, Simon, and Derek. I didn't want that.

Derek informed us after a few hours that we should stop. We had left late in the afternoon, and it was already growing dark. "We can't make the next bus going anywhere we need to be," He admitted grudgingly, like somehow us leaving late was his fault.

It interested me. It wasn't his fault in any way, but he seemed to quick to pin the blame on himself rather than other people. I couldn't help but wonder exactly why Derek Souza disliked himself so much.

But I wasn't going to argue. I lagged behind while we were walking, mainly due to my being so short. This greatly annoyed Derek, who was intent on my staying right behind him. And that greatly annoyed _me_, because I had to take three steps to match just one of his. I decided that my initial impression of Derek was wrong, he was definitely closer six foot five, which was a huge inconvenience for me.

I glanced around. There was nothing near us, except a small factory with no lights on. Would we really be staying in that? My jaw dropped in disbelief, and yes, I admit it, distaste.

Everyone was staring at me, I finally noticed. Tori was smirking, shooting Simon and Derek a look that clearly said, "I told you so!" Simon was anxious, and Derek just looked disappointed, but not surprised.

I wanted to protest, wanted to say that we couldn't stay here. The place was horribly dilapidated, and I wasn't too sure how safe it was for anyone to be staying in a place with tons of machinery and leftover fumes from production days. There was probably nothing to use as a makeshift bed, either.

Then I got over myself. Maybe I realized myself how snotty I was thinking when kids did this everyday, kids younger than I was. Maybe it was because Simon was murmuring we could find someplace else and none of us were _that_ tired. Maybe I wanted to prove Tori wrong and wipe that stupid smug look off her face. Or maybe I just didn't want Derek to judge me. In any case, I steeled my jaw and said, "Right. An abandoned factory. Maybe I'll get inspired to write a movie script."

No one said anything. Tori looked surprised, Derek only nodded and started making his way into the factory, and Simon fell in step with me. "Hey," I told him desperate to avoid the typical awkward silence, "that was nice of you." And it was. I thought it was kind of sweet of him to offer to keep moving for me.

"Anything for a pretty girl," He said gallantly, offering me a flirtatious smile.

I blushed. "O-oh. Th-thank you?"

He was humoring me, I was sure. I wasn't the pretty one, especially not compared to Tori. I was plain. Too pale, too thin, too short. The only thing interesting about me was my strawberry blonde hair with dyed red streaks (which my father was surprisingly okay with) and my blue eyes that I couldn't deny were rather pretty.

It didn't matter though because I knew Simon wasn't my type. I doubted I was his type, either. He flirted just so he could flirt, not because he showed any interest in me. And I was okay with that.

My friend Nate always told me guys would like me. In fact, everyone seemed to think _he_ liked me. Then I got "schizophrenia", and suddenly my chances of being a romantic interest for anyone dwindled. And I was okay with that too, for the most part. Still, it was nice to know that some people saw past my freaky powers and thought I was pretty.

So I smiled at Simon, trying to not show how grateful I was for a casual compliment.

Tori made gagging noises, and Derek just looked completely disinterested so I asked, "Are we going inside or not?"

We'd reached the entrance of the factory. The doors were criss-crossed with CAUTION tape which made me even more wary. But when Derek simply reached up and tore the plastic down, I didn't protest and followed him without a complaint.

The factory opened up into what I assumed was a front desk for people to log in. Derek hoisted himself over the desk with ease, twisting in a fluid motion before landing on his feet. He beckoned for us to follow, and I did, though much more clumsily. I kind of wished my powers gave me Derek's apparent super-strength and dexterity.

The floor was carpeted, and I could see why Derek would choose for us to sleep here. The floor wouldn't be as hard as the rest of the place, and it there were a few chairs that got must have gotten left behind. There was even a couch.

Derek pointed to it and nodded his head. "You can sleep there, if you want."

I glanced over and noticed Tori staring at the couch with desire. How long had they been on the run? Was the time at my house the first nights that they'd had with a bed in months?

I shook my head. "Tori... if-if you want... you can..."

Her head swiveled toward me. "What, you think _I _can't handle sleeping on the floor?"

Truth was, I knew she could handle it but didn't want to. Judging by her designer jeans and perfectly styled hair, she was probably almost as well off as I was before she ended up discovering the truth. She wanted that couch more than I did. But I wasn't going to tell her that.

"N-no! Of co-course not!" I protested angrily. The effect was kind of ruined by my infuriating stammer. Even when I tried to be nice to her, she got angry at me. "I was just trying to be nice!"

She walked over to me. Tori was taller than me by a good five inches at least, and the look on her face was slightly crazed which was reason enough for me to be a bit concerned. "You got my best friend _killed_. Liz is _dead_ and it's all _your_ fault! How can someone like that be nice?"

Shock washed over me, and I felt my body tense. My jaw was the only part in my body that was slack, and I probably looked like I was catching flies but I didn't care. "Wh-what?"

The idea that someone's death was my fault appalled me. I'd always been a pacifist, which I knew would probably come back to bite me in the butt later since violence was inevitable, but I had no idea how to deal with the fact that Tori's best friend was no longer living. And it was my fault.

"You heard me!"

I heard Simon make a noise that sounded a bit like he was being strangled. "Tori, don't-"

Tori cast him a frosty glare. It wasn't her usual snobby stare, it was angry and hurt. Full of genuine pain, not conceitedness. "She should know," She murmured. When Tori turned back to me, she looked wounded.

"We were digging up information on you. Apparently, your aunt put you right in the grip of the Edison Group just when news of your schizophrenia hit the stands. Maybe she was trying to help, or maybe she wasn't," She was implying that my aunt was a traitor. My fists curled.

Tori seemed to take this in with cruel delight before adding, "She placed you in Lyle House a normal group to help troubled teens. Of course, they had one worker there that was on the lookout for supernaturals. You were pulled out before they messed with you too badly, other than doping you up on pills, the same ones that you got from the company the Edison Group that was supposed to control your powers.

Anyway, we knew that there would be stuff at Lyle house to prove what you were if we looked hard enough. It was the same place Liz and I had met and found out what we were, just a year before you.

We found your file and we got all the evidence we needed to prove you really were the necromancer we needed. When we were getting out we were discovered, so we used our powers. Apparently, that gave them reason to shoot at us."

Her voice grew shaky. "So they did. Shoot at us, I mean. With bullets, real ones."

Tori wasn't the only one coping with what seemed to be painful memories. I looked over at the two brothers to gauge their reactions. Simon had his eyes cast away and Derek flinched.

Tori's dark eyes were glistening with malice, and maybe a thin coat of unshed tears. She blinked, and the tears were gone. "They got Liz, right in her stomach. She's gone and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you!"

"But how is that my fault?" My own voice was quivering. I realized that I felt sorry for Tori. I knew she didn't want my sympathy, but she earned it anyway.

Her eyes were still boring into me, and I resisted the urge to glance away. "If we didn't have to find you, we would've been fine. We put ourselves out in the open to try and get information on where you lived by invading that stupid place! And now I don't have anyone."

Her voice lowered. "They're brothers. They watch out for each other. _Just_ each other. They're using me." I felt like I'd been slapped, and I knew what was coming. "Just like they're using you."

"That's enough, Tori!" Simon snapped, after looking at me and seeing me stumble back.

Tori sneered, some of her old snark back in place. "Talking to me like you'd scold a puppy? Remember, Simon, _I'm_ not the dog." The words were vicious, and she stepped away and out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Derek asked. He didn't sound happy, almost guarded and wary.

The reply came as she walked farther away. "In a different room than you!"

I felt like I should have gone after her. Somehow, I'd hurt her. I'd robbed her of her best friend, and I knew what that felt like. I had to rectify it, even if I knew there was probably no way I ever could.

I heard her words. I guess I already knew that Simon and Derek were using me for my powers, powers I didn't know anything about. And what choice did I have? It was the only way I'd develop any control over seeing ghosts and God only knew what else.

My early exhaustion came back, in full force. I grabbed a cushion off the couch and rested my head on it as I sank to the floor. I shivered and was grateful we wouldn't be sleeping on the even colder tile.

"You can use the couch," Derek rumbled from beside me.

"No," I said softly, "I'm fine."

I was almost asleep when Simon spoke up uncertainly. "It was only partially true. Derek and I are brothers, and we watch each others' backs, but-"

"You're important too. We'll keep you safe," Derek cut in. The words were more reassuring, coming from him. Simon would protect me because I was a girl, and he was just that sort of guy. But Derek? He wouldn't break his word.

Somehow, I knew he wouldn't.

* * *

When I woke up, I had pains in my back in at least five places. I stretched, watching as a huge black sweatshirt fell off my shoulders onto the ground. I stared at it in confusion. "This yours?" I asked Derek, my voice crackling due to lack of exercise.

He nodded. "You were cold."

"Oh," I blinked, "you didn't have to."

Derek shrugged. "I don't mind."

I tried to fight back a smile, but I couldn't help it. I grinned at him and said, "Thanks," before passing the hoodie back. He shrugged again and tugged it on. I assumed he had been cold too, but he still gave me his sweatshirt. The idea made me feel a little bit fuzzy, and I told myself I'd watched one too many chick flicks before I left home.

He opened his mouth, but never got to finish what he was saying. His head turned up, and his head rotated to the back of the room. "There's something-"

Tori sprinted into the room, looking more than a little wild-eyed. "We need to get out!" She ran for the counter and jumped over it, much like Derek had the other day. Simon, who followed Tori after awhile, did the same thing.

Derek hoisted me up off the ground and literally flung me over the counter with ease. I knew I only weighed about a hundred pounds, but it just wasn't normal for someone to be able to do that. "How did you..."

"No time," He barked out, swinging over the desk as well. He grabbed me by the wrist and started pulling. I stumbled before breaking out into a run that didn't quite match his freakishly fast sprint.

"Tori!" A voice called out, and all three of them cursed. "I know you're here."

"Go," She whispered loudly. "I'll hold her off."

Simon regarded her incredulously. "You insane? Remember what happened last time?"

She rolled her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." The way she said it, I didn't doubt her.

Exasperated, Derek continued pulling me, muttering something about wasting time and stupid sibling arguments. He glanced back at them before stopping. There, in the doorway, was a pretty woman in her mid-forties.

Her short blonde hair was styled to perfection, eyes bright as she scanned both Derek and me. "Well, Ms. Chloe, we finally meet." The smile she flashed me was menacing and strangely familiar, though I'd never seen her before if I remembered correctly.

"I'm Diane Enright."

Tori sneered. "Hi, mother. Not going to say hi to your darling daughter?"

I didn't have time to be surprised. Dimly, I noticed that some of their bone structure was the same, as was the coldness in their eyes. I had no doubt that Tori's mom could be equally witchy, in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

Ms. Enright shook her head. "Why would I want to talk to a failure like _you_?"

Tori didn't shy away, she only grinned coldly. "Right, if I don't side with experimenting and other crap then I don't mean anything."

Derek and I were slowly moving toward the door. Tori was stalling for us, but I was pretty sure she didn't mind putting her mom in her place. As it was, her mom didn't seem to be affected by the harsh barbs Tori kept launching.

"Oh, be _quiet_," Ms. Enright ordered, rendering Tori silent for a second, a feat that I would have appreciated more had the woman not been out to get me. Or at least, judging by the protective stances Derek and Simon formed around, the woman that I _thought_ was out to get me.

"I see you still have poor taste in friends," Tori's mom said, not even try to hide her disdain. Her eyes flicked over to Simon and Derek, who froze.

Leaping to her own defense, Tori snarled, "None of them are my friends. I don't need friends!"

"You don't need friends?" Ms. Enright asked, her eyes conveying that she already knew the answer to this question. "What you mean is that you can't get friends. Because no one likes you. _No one ever will_."

A lightning bolt sizzled as it whizzed through the air. The magic was crackling blue, with bright purple sparks flaring off it. Ms. Enright flung her arms up, and shouted, "The lethal bolt? Have I hurt your feelings? My, my, if that's how you want to play..."

An even bigger burst of energy sprung from Tori's mom's fingertips. It flew toward Tori who ducked and cursed. "That fried part of my hair!" She screeched, and I noticed that the ends were burning, a smell I was familiar with from all the campaigning my dad had done when he hired all those hair people to swarm the whole family.

Ms. Enright sighed angrily. "I don't have time for this."

She turned on me. I stepped back, frightened, hitting what must have been a wall. I twisted and saw Derek, who was growling loudly, the sound starting in his chest. I hadn't noticed before, but my whole body, which was shoved against him, was vibrating.

"Chloe," He bent down to whisper in my ear, "you need to-"

It was weird, what happened. I froze. It was almost like I wasn't fully aware of everything that was going on, but I was more aware than ever of my surroundings. I tried to shift, but something threatened to choke me if I moved even an inch.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling. I'd never been claustrophobic, but being suffocated with what I knew was magic almost gave me the irrational fear. Energy was sparkling, turned on me. "Don't move," Someone said, speaking slowly, "or I blast the necro. We both need her, but unfortunately for you, I can find another one, one more reasonable."

"Chloe," Derek was saying again, insistently. "Chloe, can you move?" He cussed under his breath before hissing to Simon, "Binding spell."

Simon groaned, but turned his attention on Ms. Enright, who was walking toward me. She looked over at Derek and said, "I mean it, beast. Don't move, or I'll kill you both."

She continued moving toward me until she was a yard away. "This is your last chance, Chloe." Ms. Enright's stare was intimidating. I couldn't move, or I would've cowered behind Derek, not even ashamed of losing my dignity.

"You and me, we aren't so different," She was like a snake. I could practically hear this hiss in her words. She was like the serpent in the Garden, trying to tempt me away from safety and happiness. "We live in luxury. It's really the only way for people like us." So I was right about Tori.

"You can't be on the run. You won't make it. We both know it. So I'm telling you now, you can abandon these fools and come with me for the good of science..." Her voice dropped as she went on contemptuously, "or you can stay and we will come back. And we will find you, and then none of you will be missing the Delaney girl any longer." Her words sunk in, and I felt a surge of fear overcome me.

She threatened to kill us. All of us.

The magic released me, and the energy bolt seemed to respond with new life. Everything seemed to move faster and I slumped against Derek, who held my shoulders roughly. "I-I..." I took a deep breath. "I would never go with you after what you've done. To me and them."

Her eyes widened in shock and rage. The energy bolt seemed to flare out of control, and her hair, once to carefully styled, raised off her scalp. Then, just like that, she was a normal business woman again, the cool mom that every teenager wanted. "Very well. But you _will_ regret this."

She spun on her heel and walked out. We waited for half an hour, in silence. I was aware of Tori leaving the room, saying in a choked voice something about fixing her hair. When Simon asked if she was alright, she snarled something intelligible, and all means of conversation left with her.

I turned to Derek. "You didn't think I'd stay. Did you?"

He shook his head. "I thought you'd leave."

Exasperated, I informed him, "I trust you. But you guys don't trust me."

It was a statement. They exchanged a look, and I felt left out. I almost wanted to chase after Tori, but decided against it. Instead, I quietly questioned, "Will we be leaving right away?" I sounded formal and stiff, it was a voice I usually saved for the few meetings my father forced me to attend.

Derek frowned. "We'll stay another hour, then leave. That way we won't see Tori's mom if she's headed the same way as us."

I nodded. "I'm going to find Tori."

They both looked surprised, to a certain degree, but Derek only nodded curtly. So I walked off, eager to get away from the stupid boys that thought I was just another flakey blonde.

Instead, I walked into what I rightfully assumed would be a near-death experience.

**(A/N) This chapter was REALLY long compared to my others, sorry about that! It was also really difficult to write, I kept adding a bunch of random stuff in and I'm not entirely sure why :/ Must be rusty! And you all should be happy, I managed to sneak a teeny bit of Chlerek in there...**

**One last thing, I did not have my books with me to check on some stuff, so if I got the magic fight wrong, my apologies, I will fix it when my friend is done borrowing them :)  
**

**Next chapter: We get to meet Liz (which also means Chloe using her powers), and more extreme rudeness from Tori :D**

**Reviews make me floaty and happy!  
**


	14. The Turning

**(A/N) I got a really positive response for the last chapter which took me by surprise! It was a good surprise though, which is why you're getting such a fast update :) Hope you all have a great new year!**

"Tori?" I called, peeking my head around the corridor. "Tori?" I felt kind of stupid, and I was pretty sure she thought the same thing, but I didn't really mind. I had no idea where she was, and the factory was huge so I was expecting a little bit of help on her behalf, stupidly enough.

I heard a bit of scuffling behind me, and turned slightly, expecting a mouse or something. Needless to say, I jumped when I saw the massive shadow behind me. "Wh-who is-is it?"

The scene was splayed out before my eyes. It was so easy to predict what was coming next. Some big, bad villain would lurch out of the darkness into sight. There would be a huge creepy grin on his face, and he'd say something cheesy like, "Come here, Princess, let me show you a good time…"

How had Derek stood yesterday when he was ready to defend himself (and me)? For the life of me, I couldn't remember so I shifted into what felt natural and prayed I kind of knew what I was doing. "A-answer me!"

My muscles tensed as the person shuffled forward. I leapt up when I saw who it was, though at first I only acknowledged him as some massive guy that was looming over me. Then I sighed. "Derek, why are you here?"

"Might be more people from the Edison Group," He shrugged casually. "God knows you can't take care of yourself," I almost said something in my defense, but I remembered how easy it was for me to be attacked in the woods and how easy it was for Ms. Enright to bind me. My powers were nothing if not useless.

"Are you just trying to find Tori?" I nodded. "Good."

"Where did you think I was going?"

There was a moment's hesitation on his part. Then he just shrugged again. My eyes narrowed at him in suspicion and I asked, "You didn't really think I was going to find Ms. Enright?"

His eyes widened a bit and he shook his head, hair falling around his face as he did so. "No, of course not," He scowled. "But we weren't sure if you were angry and Simon didn't want anything to happen if you walked away." And did something reckless. That wasn't like me, but I guessed that Derek and Simon couldn't have known better.

"Then why isn't Simon here?"

He only grunted softly, and I didn't really know how I was supposed to interpret that. Maybe I wasn't supposed to interpret it at all.

"Why are you standing like something's in your pants?"

I shot up indignantly. "Well, I just thought… you know, you were some weird creeper…"

His brow furrowed, but he said nothing and I realized he could have taken that the wrong way. Hurriedly, I protested, "I mean, I didn't _know_ it was you, I don't think you're a creeper!"

He said nothing, only walked over to me and positioned my arms and legs better. If it was Simon, I probably would have blushed by the way he didn't seem to care about touching my body so freely, but it was Derek, all business all the time. Still, I could feel myself getting a little bit flustered, feeling the way his muscles moved against mine... "Like this. You could use the other person's weight against them."

Thankfully, his words snapped me out of my girly trance-like state. "So someone like you would be no match for me?"

It was supposed to be a joke, but I wasn't expecting to be rewarded with the highly amused look on Derek's face, much different than his typical indifference or irritability. "You could never take someone like me."

The words weren't meant to be sharp; they were just a simple statement. But the way he said them, like there was no getting around the fact made me curious. I'd been meaning to ask him for awhile, but I never got around to it. "That reminds me, what exactly are—"

"I think I heard Tori," He cut me off. I almost chastised him and asked if anyone ever told him it was rude to interrupt, but when he gestured in the direction he meant, I had a feeling that was a subject he didn't want to talk about. "I'm gonna go find Simon." Then he jogged away, leaving me no room to voice my question.

Confused, I walked off. I thought we were making some kind of progress, but I guess we weren't even friends yet. I wasn't even someone to respect, someone to trust with what must have been a pretty big secret for him to have kept it from me for so long.

Of course, we hadn't known each other that long, but part of me felt that if he knew about my creepy powers, couldn't he tell me what his were, because what could be worse than necromancy? Nothing he could tell me would make me go away because much as I didn't want to admit it, I needed them. All of them, even Derek with his bad attitude and intimidation factor.

"Tori?" I called again.

I could hear something, something that sounded almost like crying. That couldn't be right, Tori didn't cry… but I sure knew it wasn't Simon or Derek, which would have been a hilarious thought at some other time.

I kept making my way over to the sound of the muffled sobbing, stopping when I got to a door. It had a key-card lock, but I figured it probably didn't work anymore since the factory wasn't in use.

Hand on the door knob, I held back behind the door before I turned it. Sure enough, there was Tori, sitting on a desk. I wasn't sure why she wasn't on the chair behind it, but there were other things to worry about. I knew for sure then that she was crying, and hesitantly, I asked, "Tori?"

Her head jerked up toward me, bloodshot eyes trying to glower menacingly. It didn't really work, because when you catch someone crying, it's a little bit hard to be afraid of them, all previous encounters with that person suddenly void. "Hey, are you—"

"I'm not okay, if that's what you were going to ask," Her voice broke a few times, but there was still so much anger in the words that I froze, "I'm crying, yeah, why hide it? So obviously, if you were smart, you would know that I'm not okay. And no, I don't want to talk about it. Not with anyone, and especially not you."

It stung. I was expecting her to react this way, but it still hurt. It hurt to have someone hate me so much, but more than that, it made me angry. "I didn't do anything wrong," I protested. "I'm really sorry about Liz, but—"

She interrupted me again, but this time her glare worked. I'd started moving toward her again, and I stopped, dead in my tracks, again. "You can't be sorry! You never knew her!"

Tori stood up, her face getting an odd look on it. She looked like she was in grief, but maybe a touch of madness crept into her eyes, making me a bit concerned. "She was so nice. So nice to everyone, but not like _you_. She was charming and sweet, and she was like my sister. Wish she was my sister instead of that girl living in my home."

I never pegged Tori for the babbling type, but I let her keep ranting. "I miss her every single day of my life, and you don't really care. After all I've done to you, how could you lie and say that you care?" Her voice was rising, growing more high pitched. "How can you do that?"

"I-I'm sorry! I d-d-didn't…" I didn't what? How would I finish that statement? Something I'd learned about people, something I actually learned from both my dad and therapy, is that when someone's made up their mind about something, you can't do anything about it. The best thing to do is just walk away and let them re-think what they were saying, especially when it's grief talking.

I wasn't sure if it was just grief talking, but I hoped it was. Slowly, I turned and began to head out the door to go join Derek and Simon and give Tori some time to herself. "Don't you dare walk away."

Her voice had taken on a different tone. Her voice was no longer slightly crazed, and all the pain was gone, replaced with a fury that frightened me. _Calm down, it's Tori. She wouldn't do anything. Just walk away._ I continued to head for the door, when an odd noise caught me by surprise.

It was familiar, something I'd heard only seconds earlier. It was the crackling of energy. This time, I quickly spun and almost fell over in shock. There Tori was, a slight ball of energy coming into existence between her fingertips. The look in her eyes was even more scary than her threatening tone from before, and I wondered…

Was she going to use that magic on me?

"I wasn't done talking to you!" She sounded hysterical, and more tears started streaming from her eyes. Now she looked confused, almost like she didn't want to hurt me but just couldn't control what she was doing. I remember at Lyle House, everyone had some sort of mental problem, and for Tori to go there, I wondered briefly if it were possible that Tori had something.

I dismissed the thought quickly, more intent on the bolt that was steadily growing larger, and then shrinking again. Eventually, the bolt continued to grow larger in size until I realized that Tori had made up her mind. She was going to make me pay.

I never imagined the thought of dying would be so scary. I guess I never really thought about it, even though after finding out I was a necromancer, death should have been something that frequented my thoughts. Then, with someone that I thought was on my side, about to blast me, I knew that this was it.

Of course, I didn't want this to be it. "Help!" I shouted, finally recovering my strength. "Someone help!" My voice was more powerful that I would have expected, and I knew Derek would hear me with his insane super-human senses.

Surprisingly, Tori didn't scream at me for trying to get help. Maybe she wanted me to get help because she just couldn't control herself. I could see that, see it in her face. She didn't want to hurt me, but at the same time, she did. She wanted to so badly, but I speculated again if maybe that was some hidden disorder controlling her.

I gathered all the air I had into my lungs and shouted one more time, "HELP!" Intensity reverberated through my voice, giving me chills.

Just when the bolt of energy flew from her hands, something got in the way. A chair was flung from behind the desk, swerving around Tori's head without hitting her and into the energy ball, which evaporated with a loud fizzle, taking the chair with it.

I sunk to the ground. That could have been me. Had that chair not been thrown, I would have disintegrated. Suddenly, I was thankful for being rich. Suddenly, I was thankful for Aunt Lauren. Suddenly, I was thankful for a lot of things I took for granted.

But the thing I was the most thankful for?

The ghost, the one I was certain who launched the chair to defend me. The pretty girl with long blonde hair and a green Gap sweatshirt who was smiling and saying, "It's so nice to meet you, Chloe! My name is Liz."

**(A/N) That tiny bit of Chlerek in the beginning completely caught me by surprise. Consider yourselves lucky, I almost took it out.**

**Also, with Tori, I think it's really plausible that she'd react this way. She's definitely impulsive, and she definitely didn't mean to attack Chloe, it just sort of happened. And I guess after an encounter with her mom trying to kill her, I kind of think it's almost justified for someone to fly off the handle like that. Sorry if it seems out of character.**

**Chapter title meaning - (I think I might start including this as well as a what's coming next, what do you think?) Anyway, Tori turned on Chloe, and Chloe turned into a "true" necromancer.  
**

**Do I really need to say what's gonna happen next chapter? ;P**


	15. The Befriending

**(A/N) I am on a roll for frequent updating! Aren't you guys proud of me? I know I am…**

**I am even prouder of you! I got over a hundred reviews? O_o…? *faints***

**THANK YOU! Love you all, readers and alerters and favoriters, and especially my darling reviewers. You guys inspire me to write, thank you for your encouragement of any form.**

"L-L-Liz?" Normally, I would have been embarrassed with my speech problem, especially with Tori in the room. I couldn't spare her a glance, though, because I was too focused on Liz.

She flashed me a forced smile after casting a wary and disappointed look at Tori. "Liz, like Lizzie McGuire! The Disney Channel show. You know, I used to love it back in the day." Her pretty eyes darkened, almost like she didn't want to remember good things from her life.

I could see that. It must have been painful to be near all of us. Her old team, and the girl she never got to defend. Except she did get the chance, I remembered. "Th-thank y-y-you."

My stutter always got worse when I was stressed out, and I the situation I was in definitely qualified. I could have died. I couldn't believe it. _I could have died._

In the movies, when you see a near death experience, you're on the edge of your seat. You're always wondering exactly how she's going to get out of it, and those intense moments are some of the best of the film. They're exciting, and they all vary in different ways. In romantic comedies, the love interest saves the day, while in an action movie, the heroine somehow manages on her own.

In real life, those near death experiences are something entirely different. They're scary. More than scary, terrifying. The worst part is that you don't start thinking about what you're going to do while it's happening, you only realize it after it's too late because it isn't scripted out for you.

If Liz wasn't there, I'd have been dead. I slumped to the ground.

The heroine never cries after a near death experience. But I did. They weren't the awful sobs that I heard coming from Tori, but silent tears falling in rivulets down my face.

They were tears of shock. They were tears of fright. They were tears of happiness. They were tears of gratitude. They were tears of every emotion imaginable.

While I cried, I was aware of someone chattering. Her voice was calming, soothing, and I think she might have been part of the reason why I didn't cry for very long, just enough to get out all the pent-up emotion that should have been released awhile ago.

When they stopped, Liz softly asked, "Can you talk to her for me?"

I'd forgotten she was there. I'd forgotten both of them were there, but Tori was huddled in a corner, looking shocked and horrified. She should have been. Slowly, I nodded.

"Tell her it's okay. That Liz says it's okay."

I didn't want to, but at the same time, I did. Part of me felt like Tori should be put in my shoes, feel as awful as I did at that moment. But that part of me was much smaller than the compassionate part that took in Tori's frightened and somehow lifeless eyes with sympathy. "Tori?"

She looked at me. She looked scared, not of me, of course, but maybe of what she would do to me. "L-Liz is-is here. Sh-she says… it's okay."

Immediately, something sparked. Tori glanced around the room. She was searching for Liz, I was certain of it. "Liz?" Her voice was stuffy and nasally. "Really?"

I nodded.

"I miss you," Tori said quietly. "Maybe that's why—why I did this. Because I miss you."

Liz murmured softly, "Oh, Tori."

That was when I fully realized how close they were. How much they were like Simon and Derek. I thought I'd had that with Rae, but she ended up using me. It wasn't a real friendship, not like Tori and Liz. So close they were almost sisters, like the dark-haired girl told me.

They couldn't be more different. Storms and sunshine, crumbling and strength. "Chloe?"

I blinked as a non-corporeal hand waved in front of my face. "Oh. Sorry."

"Tell her she shouldn't have done that, even if it was because she missed me." It took awhile for me to place a finger on the emotion in Liz's voice, but finally, I recognized it as guilt. Guilt and an apology.

I cleared my throat to grab Tori's attention again. "She says you shouldn't have done—"

The door flung open, and suddenly I was aware of being snagged around the waist. I shrieked and tried to remember what little self-defense I did know, added with what Derek told me. I was being pulled down to the ground, with me resisting all the way.

The whole process took under two seconds. I knew only one person could move that fast. "Derek, you should have told me it was you!" My voice was an angry gasp. He grunted, and I figured that was as close to an apology as I was going to get. "You can let go," I sighed.

He did. I stood, ignoring the faint laughter I heard. "Same old Derek," Liz chimed, "always so protective over those he cares about." I shot her a weird look before Derek distracted me.

He was brushed behind me when he asked, "What's going on? Why did you scream for help?"

Loud footsteps sounded outside the room. Derek rolled his eyes as Simon ran to join us, panting a bit. His dark blonde hair wasn't as spiked as usual, maybe from the running. "What's the emergency?"

"I—I—I—" I didn't know what to say. Tori was looking at me pleadingly. I glanced over at Liz and mumbled on a bout of sudden inspiration, "I see a ghost."

Immediately, Derek got annoyed. He scowled at me. "That's all?"

"Well—"

"Forget it," Tori mumbled. Both boys glanced over, like they didn't even notice she was there. Maybe they hadn't. "It was my fault. Chloe's just being her stupid nice self and trying to cover for me."

Liz was looking at her friend with something like approval. I cast my eyes down, worried that Simon and Derek would be angry. Naturally, I was startled when Derek said in a softer voice, "What happened, Chloe?"

I tipped my head back up at him. "Tori… she…" I looked over at a remaining wheel from the chair. Derek followed my eyes, and walked over. He picked it up and ran his fingers over what looked like burn marks.

Then he was angry. He was so full of rage, it was hard to watch. I wanted to comfort him, assure him that I was fine, but then he was too. He took a deep breath, seemed to center himself, then looked at Tori. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the receiving end of that. "You attacked her." Not a question. A statement.

Tori nodded, hanging her head. I'd never seen her look so defeated as she did in that moment, when she got up and ran out of the room. After a moment's pause, Simon went after her, muttering under his breath.

Liz was staring at her in sympathy and pain. "I wish she hadn't done that."

"Yeah," I barked out, "me too."

Derek faced me. He was clearly confused. "Thought there was no ghost?"

I bit my lip before conceding, "Well, there is. And… it's Liz."

He blinked once, twice. For a second, he looked like he thought maybe I really was crazy before finally, a blazing curiosity took over his face. "Ask her where my dad is."

"Please," I mumbled. One thing I couldn't stand was when people didn't ask for things nicely. It had been drilled into my head since I was a kid, but more than that, I didn't feel like putting up with Derek's rude crap at that moment.

He stared at me for a second. "Please," He returned darkly, even though I really hadn't expected him to.

Liz smiled at me encouragingly. "I can hear him. He obviously can't hear me, but everything he says is in HD."

"Oh, and you didn't really need to do that. She can hear you," I informed him. When he rolled his eyes at me and my obvious incompetence, I only shrugged, albeit a bit sheepishly.

Liz shook her head at him. "Don't listen to him." She frowned, then. "I... I don't know about his dad. I wasn't really looking for him, but I guess I can try to keep my eyes open." She chewed her lower lip. "Shame, too, Kit's such a nice guy. Hope nothing happened to him."

I turned to Derek. I'd always hated to be the bearer of bad news, but this was so much worse than telling someone they didn't make the cut in my student directed plays. Derek actually looked almost _hopeful_, an expression I never thought his pessimism would allow him to wear. Finally, after he cleared his throat, I gently told him, "She said she hasn't seen him." The hope vanished, and I rushed on, "But she'll keep looking!"

A hesitant nod. "Anything else?"

This time, Derek shook his head.

He was lapsing into a quiet depression, I could tell. His green eyes, usually bright and attentive, were distant and full of pain. I hadn't expected him to look like that, but I guessed he was close to his dad.

Suddenly, I realized I could ask Liz. Obviously not with Derek there, so I murmured, "Hey, Derek?" His head swiveled toward me. "Can I have some girl time with Liz? I'll be fine, she's technically on the team too."

As soon as I said girl time, he was lumbering out the door. I was kind of surprised, but maybe he was slowly starting to trust me. Or maybe I was right and he trusted Liz.

"It's funny, seeing him like that. So uncertain. Y'know, he's usually all head-strong, but he's not as tough as he looks. He can actually be kind of nice sometimes, but usually only to Simon." Liz pouted, "He made fun of my giraffe socks! Then other times, he'll risk his life for other people. He's always been like that. Doesn't worry about himself enough."

She babbled. It was endearing, and I decided that I liked the bright, cheerful girl. We could've been friends, I realized with a pang. "He has?"

She nodded. "Has he told you about... the incident?"

"No," I replied, "and I doubt he ever will. Simon's mentioned it, but he never explained. And I doubt he ever will either."

Liz swept her long blonde hair off her shoulder, looking a bit like a girl about to gossip. Except the types of girls who gossiped didn't usually wear such looks of concern. "I can't believe he hasn't gotten over it..."

"I guess he hasn't."

I wouldn't prompt her any more than that. If she wanted to tell me what was going on, then she could tell me and I definitely wouldn't complain. But if she thought it was something to keep to herself, then that was okay, too.

"We were running," Liz whispered, "it was the same day when I... when... yeah." She finished softly, seeming to get all dark again before continuing, "And they had, y'know, guns. I'd been shot in the arm before the killing wound happened. It was kind of hazy, but I remember a little bit.

He yelled at Simon, told him to run ahead. He'd hold everyone else off. I was sure he hadn't been planning on it, but when someone rushed at him, maybe to detain him since his kind is, um, not widely accepted, he killed them."

Liz's eyes filled with tears. "I couldn't get a good look at his face, but then I remembered hearing Simon screaming for Derek to run. The tables had completely turned. So Simon turned back, went to grab his brother when someone shot at Simon."

"Derek went crazy. His kind is like that. Protective. Anyway, he..." It was hard for Liz to talk. That was completely understandable. She'd been close to dying, and her last memories weren't pleasant ones, and the closer we got to her ending, the harder the tears fell. "He went crazy. Picked the guy up and flung him, a good twenty, thirty feet away. Derek broke his neck. The second one in one night."

Her tone dropped. "I think me and those people weren't the only ones who died that night. I've been keeping tabs, and Derek's... different. He's always been a jerk, but he seems almost tortured. Like he doesn't care about himself anymore." She took in a deep breath, "And I know you do, Chloe."

My eyes widened. "You- I- what?"

She smiled, a watery, sad smile. "You care about everyone, Chloe. You tried to cover for a girl that tried to kill you. Like I said, Derek's a jerk, but not completely unlikable. He has his moments when you get to know him enough. Which I never really did, but I saw it. So watch out for him, 'kay?"

I nodded. Liz glanced behind her, brow furrowing. She'd been doing that momentarily throughout the whole conversation. It seemed like someone was calling her name, and it was finally time for her to go. "Listen, I'm gonna go... But if you need me, don't be afraid to call out!"

The way she said it, so genuine, I knew we still could be friends. Definitely not in the normal way, but some bonds are so strong they go beyond the dead, or at least, that's what I'd heard. I smiled as she shimmered away, and she returned it, this time not as pained.

I knew Derek wouldn't be coming back. Who knew if he could hear me talking? Probably kept one ear on me just in case because he was just that kind of person.

It made sense, what Liz said. It explained the self-loathing, self-loathing he shouldn't have been harboring. I frowned. The idea of Derek hating himself was ridiculous, especially since he did have his occasional moments where he was almost kind. It wasn't normal, wasn't right for someone to dislike the person they were so much.

I wandered out of the room, heading for the front desk so I could be alone with my thoughts.

**(A/N) Hope this chapter satisfies!**

**Next chapter (which, by the way, is already typed...) The beginnings of Chlerek. That's all I'm saying, because really, what more needs to be said? ;P  
**


	16. The Bonding

**(A/N) I typed this chapter up really early. As in, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to alter it, so I was working on this during chapter thirteen. Mainly because I really wanted to write some Chlerek, but in any case, I hope it's good…**

**Alright, so I'm re-reading The Awakening, right? You know what I just realized? It's MRS. Enright... I always thought it was Ms... My bad!  
**

I was on the abandoned couch, thinking about everything that had just happened when Derek found me. He lumbered into the room, and I was expecting him to chew me out. When he moved close to me, I was startled to realize that I wasn't scared of him anymore. There was always a little part of me that would know how dangerous he was (my subconscious couldn't seem to let me forget), but I wasn't scared. I hadn't been for awhile.

Maybe it was when I saw how he defended me from Mrs. Enright. Maybe it was when I saw how he almost seemed concerned when Tori nearly killed me. Or maybe I'd just realized he wasn't going to hurt me because he needed me around.

When he surveyed me, I was suddenly aware of me hugging my knees, clearly feeling sorry for myself. It was embarrassing, and I didn't want to admit my state of weakness to myself, let alone let the most scornful person on the face of the earth see me like that. So when he told me, "You did… okay," I was extremely surprised.

I unfolded my knees and placed them to the side of me. "Don't send me into cardiac arrest," I muttered, the sarcasm I usually tucked away coming out. He only looked at me questioningly. I stared at him before adding, "That almost sounded like a compliment. I guess coming from you it was." There was no change in his facial expression.

He didn't say anything, which almost disappointed me. His opinion counted, maybe because he was always honest. Derek would always give credit where credit was due, and he would never lie to make me feel better. Maybe that honesty kept me on my toes so I couldn't give him any reason to yell at me, something that I'd never liked.

After a few minutes passed of silence, I finally spoke up. "Why are you here?" The question was uncertain, like I couldn't decide if I really wanted to ask or not. "Why not Simon?" It was obvious why Tori wasn't going to talk to me. The guys were probably worried she'd attack me again. Honestly, it was a concern of mine too.

"Someone needs to make sure Tori doesn't go off again." I didn't miss the slight exasperated emphasis on the last word.

I lifted my eyebrows. "Does it happen often?"

His own eyebrows pulled together, wearing that brooding look I was accustomed to seeing on him. "Not really. It used to. Hope Simon doesn't get blasted if she's still worked up."

Something told me he didn't believe that. When I voiced that thought, he only snorted. "Of course I don't. She wouldn't hurt Simon, the only family member that's really treated her well. At least, compared to what you've seen."

That's when I found a chink in Derek's armor. Underneath that sardonic exterior was a person. And apparently, that person was… "You're jealous, aren't you?" My voice was disbelieving, and he shot me a glower that quickly stopped the smile spreading across my face.

"Why would I be jealous? God only knows I don't want to be the one around Tori when she's in a mood," I knew he was telling the truth, but I noticed the slight clenching of his jaw and the way his eyes flickered just a bit when he talked.

He was right, but so was I. "You wish you were the one with a blood tie to Simon."

Derek didn't say anything, but this time I wasn't really expecting him to. He only glanced at my face, then turned to start walking away. "What, can't take the truth?"

It was a challenge; we both knew it. Slowly, he walked and sat down next to me. I crossed my ankles for a second, years of etiquette training kicking in before I remembered I didn't have to look all prim in proper. Not for Derek. "I can't take a lie," He snarled, and I was immediately glad I hadn't decided to look all fancy for what I was sure would be a battle of wills.

"You can't take that someone noticed something you tried to hide."

His eyes widened but quickly narrowed into a glare. Strange, it was still intimidating, but not even that was scary anymore. Sure, I wasn't afraid of him when he was being civil. But when he was mad? I expected the slightest spark of fear, and when I felt none, I lifted my chin and met his stare stubbornly.

I wasn't sure how long we sat. Eventually, Derek seemed to accept the fact that I wasn't going to recant what I said and he muttered, "I'm not jealous."

He wasn't just denying it. He didn't _want_ to be jealous, I realized. But then, who really did? "It's okay, you know. Happens to the best of us."

"So of course it can happen to someone like me," He filled in.

"What?" I asked, surprised. "That's not what I meant!"

He shot me a look of disbelief but didn't protest. He was going to let us sit in an awkward silence again, so, desperate not to lose this moment, I said softly, "One time, at my old school, there was this guy. His name was Nate."

For a moment, Derek looked like he was going snark out something about how he didn't want to listen to me talk about my love life. So I plowed on, not giving him the chance. "He was what I thought I wanted. He was always so nice to me. He's flirt with me sometimes, and I knew he was going to ask me to an upcoming dance. Then _it_ hit the stands. Suddenly, nobody wanted to be friends with the psycho girl. And no guy would _ever_ want to date someone in-in-insane." My voice started failing me toward the end, but maybe it was okay to show a bit of weakness.

Derek never did. He didn't like to show weakness. Maybe he was like me in that respect. If they saw a lapse of strength, people would take advantage of me, of the cute girl whose daddy was on the TV every other day. But what could people do to Derek? He was big, tough, strong. Nothing bugged him. Maybe he liked people to think that of him because they'd leave him alone.

He cast me a sidelong glance, seeming a bit more interested now. I took that as a prompt and continued, "Nate would always look at me when he thought no one was watching him. Sometimes he'd smile, like he wanted to talk to me, but then he'd remember I could always go crazy and k-k-kill him," I steadied myself, "It hurt a lot."

I sucked in a breath, knowing I'd need it. "But you know what was the worst? Nate was a popular guy. I was popular too because of my dad, even though I didn't want to be, but that's not the point. The point… well, Nate moved on pretty fast."

I remembered her. Wasn't like I could forget Miranda, the girl who was a lot like me, I noticed looking back. Short, blonde, had everyone wrapped around her finger. "Everyone loved her," I murmured, "and she used it against me because I was a threat to her rising popularity. She spread rumors about me. She said sometimes, in the bathroom, she'd see me talking to myself. That she just _knew_ I was crazy. Th-th-that… that she always did. E-e-everyone b-b-believed her."

For once, my stutter was normal. I was trying to hold in tears, and it worked, but it didn't stop my stress-induced hiccuping. I cursed myself and toughened up, lifting my chin to show that I wasn't _that_ upset.

He was looking at me. Something like sympathy and understanding was in his eyes. "Yeah, it sucked," I smiled sadly, aware of my own bitterness. "What sucked the most was that she got Nate. I'd see them in the hallway, and I don't know… I just got so angry, wondered how someone like her would be with someone like him. It just wasn't fair."

My fists curled in my lap, hands clenching, ready to swing at either one of them. I could always use what Derek taught me. "So sometimes, you're entitled to a little but of jealousy. If it makes sense."

He looked surprised. I guess he finally got that I wasn't just some girl that was spoiled all her life, some girl that had everything laid out on a silver platter for her. I had problems, real issues that I didn't want to face. But I faced them anyway, and they made me stronger.

So what if I didn't want to tell anyone this before? It was something personal, something that hurt me, embarrassed me. Why should they get to know? Tori would certainly only laugh. Simon would be sympathetic, but would he get it? Probably not.

Derek, on the other hand, wouldn't laugh. He wouldn't have faced the same things as me, but he understood what it was like. What it was like to have everyone avoid you because you're different. So I trusted him with that bit of information, and I knew he'd never tell anyone.

"I guess so," He finally said.

Just when I thought he was going to walk away again, he told me, "I know… what it's like." He sounded awkward as he confirmed my thoughts. I knew Derek wasn't used to being the comforting one, something told me that was Simon's job.

I turned to face him better. "Stop looking at me like that," He mumbled.

"Huh?"

He almost smiled. His lips twitched just a little bit, but then he fought it down, and back was the ever-present scowl. "Like I'm going to tell you something deep and philosophical that rivals Aristotle."

I blinked. "I wasn't…" Then I imagined how I must have looked. Wide, trusting blue eyes, waiting for him to talk. "Would you rather I faced the opposite direction?"

He snorted. "No." There was a slight hesitation before all sarcasm was gone. "I'm… sorry. That they did that to you." His fists curled too. "What an asshole," He muttered under his breath, referring to Nate. If I thought he would say anything mean about anyone, it would have been Miranda.

I guess looking back, maybe Nate was what Derek said. I always saw Nate as my first real crush, but he ditched me, just like my dad did. All of my friends ditched me, except Rae. And then she ditched me too. "He wasn't always bad," I couldn't help myself from saying.

Derek looked at me, doubtful. "Someone like that doesn't just change overnight. Either you're born bad, or you aren't. Some people are the former, despite what your blind optimism tells you."

He was staring at me again, his intense green eyes seeming to smolder with the utter importance of what he was saying. "That's something so deep and philosophical, it rivals Aristotle," I replied.

This time, he couldn't fight it. The slightest of smiles reached his lips, and my heart leaped. I got Derek, the emotionless brick wall, to smile. It was cause for celebration, or at the very least a grin of my own.

Until I realized what he was saying. Who he was talking about. "Derek…" I whispered, horrified. "You didn't mean... you didn't mean yourself?"

I knew it wasn't something he wanted to talk about. Instantly, all traces of that almost friendly guy were gone and out the window. He tensed immediately, eyes going a bit faraway, reliving a painful memory of his own.

"Does it matter if I did?"

Liz had told me about his past. He didn't know that I knew, and I was pretty sure he hadn't been planning on telling me anytime soon. But that wasn't okay for him to act like this, act so self-hating. I wondered if he didn't have Simon and me to look out for if he'd be suicidal.

The idea was so horrifying to me, I burst out, "Derek you are _not_ a bad person no matter what happened."

Something told me he didn't talk to anyone about what happened. Why would he? It was something he regretted, more than regretted, so why would he bring it up? But if not talking about it led him to think he was someone he wasn't, then _I_ would bring it up. Because strangely enough, I was starting to consider Derek my almost-friend, and I didn't like to see my friends hurting.

And in a way, it was sort of inevitable that we'd become friends. We would be around each other all the time, and while we had preconceived notions about one another, once those perceptions were gone... Well, when our true personalities emerged, they weren't what we expected. I wasn't just some flightie blonde, and he wasn't just some big brute with no brain or feelings.

Granted, he was grumpy a lot. Pretty much all the time. But with good reason and room to change. With both Simon and my help, he could probably change into the guy I'd gotten a glimpse of moments earlier. Sort of nice, sort of understanding, and sort of funny. A well-rounded person. Sure, he wasn't the nicest guy, but that was just him. He wasn't mean to be mean, he was abrupt. I was slowly getting used to it, even if I still didn't like it.

Time around each other could prove to be beneficiary on both sides.

I was still sort of zoned out when he finally responded, "You can't say that when you don't know what happened." He didn't even think I'd found out. Of course he didn't, he wasn't in the room when I insisted I needed some 'girl time' with Liz. What guy wants to stick around for that?

We were sitting really close, and I wanted to grab his hand or something, but not only would that be extremely awkward, it'd probably make Derek more aggravated. He didn't strike me as the touchy-feely type of person. Instead, I quietly said, "Liz told me."

"She _what_?" He asked, suddenly going from put out to down-right furious.

"It's okay," I soothed, "I asked her."

Apparently, that didn't have the effect I was going for. In fact, it only seemed to enrage him further, which I hadn't even thought possible, and now he was angry at me. I flinched back when he turned the anger to me. "You _what_?"

"I asked her what happened." There was a part in me that wanted to be afraid when I saw how worked up he was, but I knew that would only make it worse. So I tried for a calming tone. "It's okay, Derek. I swear I don't think you're what you think you are. And if it helps, she didn't tell me what sort of supernatural..." I trailed off when I saw the look on his face.

He shook his head. If there was any part of him that wanted to talk about it, he hid it well. He was so mad, I had a feeling if he said anything he'd start yelling at me. Derek seemed to know that too, I realized as he stood up. I guess I should have been grateful that he didn't chew me out, but maybe he'd just decided I wasn't worth it just because we were kind of acting like friends.

This time when he walked away, I didn't know what else to say, so I didn't try to stop him.

But I wished I did.

**(A/N) Something tells me this chapter is gonna get lots of reviews ;D C'mon, I updated fast AND there was Chlerek!**

**So I don't really know if this is the way Derek would react to Chloe on the verge of finding out about what he is, which will be a key tension-builder until Chloe finds out. I think it makes sense because in The Summoning, Simon lied for Derek. And he said not to ask Derek what he was, and well, you know Derek… not exactly the most pleasant of people.**

**To get into Derek's head more, I uploaded a oneshot written from his point of view, which I'd also love some feedback on if you're feeling super generous ;)  
**


	17. The Dealing

**(A/N) Hello, beloved readers! Glad to know the Chlerek was appreciated by all XD So this chapter should be familiar, the situation Chloe's put in is similar to one in The Awakening. However, it's really important because we get to see how Chloe deals with things on her own, and there's a wee bit of foreshadowing. To top it off, it also sets the stage for more Chlerek… yay!**

We had hit a minor detour at the bus stop. Derek said he'd figured out that people were trailing us, and that he'd overheard them mentioning the connecting station we were headed to. In order to lose the tails, we'd had to take a bus into a random city, which was in the opposite direction we needed to go.

We were currently heading through the city to the opposite side that Derek swore wasn't more than a few days' of traveling. Apparently, he and Simon used to live close to the city and whenever they visited Andrew from there, they'd gone to this same bus stop.

"I guess we could look for one closer," He'd said with a glance at me.

I'd huffed a bit, which probably only proved to him that I couldn't handle the journey. I tried to look more mature and calm when I told him, "No, it's better to go to the station you know has the stop we need."

He'd nodded, and that was the end of the conversation.

We were walking along the outskirts of the city. It didn't look like the part of town anybody would want to live in, and that wasn't just the spoiled part of me saying that. This would be the perfect place to shoot some drive-by or something.

When I was surveying the area, a movement caught my eye. A guy ran out in front of the street, glancing behind him. He was walking fast, wiping his hands on his jeans pockets, like he was nervous. Someone stepped out of the shadows, and I noticed it was a pretty red-headed girl, maybe seventeen.

She turned to face him with a smile, but he grabbed her by her collar. I watched in horrified fascination, opening my mouth to say something, but when I glanced at everyone else, they didn't seem to notice anything. A ghost. Just like the one that fell at Rae's.

He slammed her into the wall, lips twisting back. Blood oozed down the wall. She opened her mouth, and her lips moved quickly, talking fast. His hands slid up to her neck, while the girl looked surprised. It seemed like she knew him, but she didn't know he'd do _this..._

I couldn't help it. I stumbled back, turning my head away so quickly that I really fell, onto the ground. "What's the matter with her?" Derek asked, but it was like I could barely hear him.

Normally, I would have been offended by the harshness in his words, but I'd never been more grateful to have him around. That girl, barely older than me, had been killed. That could have been me if I was alone in this run-down place.

"I-I-I'm f-f-fine."

Derek eyed me suspiciously before turning his gaze on the spot I'd been staring at. Out of habit, I'd followed his eyes and the scene of the movie made me gasp out. He was throttling her, repetitively banging her head against the already stained wall even though she was clearly dead. When he finally relaxed his grip, it was only to bring out a knife to stab her over and over and over and over...

I could feel tears burning my eyes and I looked away again so I wouldn't have to see any more. So I wouldn't have as many scars by the end of this experience.

"G-g-ghost... thing."

I figured he'd snap at me to get used to it, but Simon caught my hand. "Like at Rae's?"

I nodded. "Worse," I whispered, carefully keeping my eyes trained on the ground. "Can we please get away from here?"

Simon didn't let go and squeezed my palm reassuringly in response. I didn't like that I needed him to comfort me. I didn't like that wherever I went, there was the possibility of seeing one of those terrible film loops. I didn't like feeling so scared and vulnerable.

We continued walking, and I never once looked up.

* * *

About half an hour later, I was still staring at the ground until Derek said, "I think it's okay now." Simon released my hand.

When I finally picked up my head, we were in a much nicer area. Nothing like my society, but there were a couple of buildings.

The closest things I could see were a beaten-up convenience store and a little further ahead, a welcome center type place. I had to use the restroom, so when I pointed it out, Derek said Tori and I could head there while he and Simon went ahead to the welcome center to check out a map.

"Well," Tori said as we approached, "go ahead. I'm not following you."

I shifted the weight of my body from one non-existent hip to the other. "But what if something happens?"

Maybe I was paranoid after what I'd seen. Maybe Derek was rubbing off on me, but I really didn't like the idea of going into the run-down building alone. "Nothing's gonna happen. I'm not going in there, it looks disgusting."

"I know, and I don't want to go in there either. Please, I just..."

She was smirking. She wanted me to admit it. To admit weakness, to tell her I was scared. I didn't want to take the bait so I lifted my head. "Derek and Simon won't be happy."

She rolled her eyes. "You think I care?"

"But-"

"Just go! You'll be fine," She didn't try to hide her exasperation. Gone was the amusement, now she was just annoyed. If it was anyone else, she probably wouldn't have argued. I swallowed nervously and walked away, not wanting to make myself into an even more pathetic baby. Plus, I'd always been a people pleaser and didn't want to give Tori any more reason to hate me. Plus, given what happened last time I pissed her off, I was much more wary about the way I treated her.

I really had to use the restroom, so I jogged ahead of her. Tori was taking her sweet time, I noticed when I glanced back. She was inspecting her nails, and when she caught me looking with raised eyebrows, she waved me on. I kept going at a faster pace.

As I passed the outside, I observed a group of guys clustered outside the entrance. One looked me up and down before mumbling something to one of his companions. The other guy nodded before scanning me as well. I hurried inside, wrapping my arms around my waist like it might somehow fend off their creepy stares.

There was no cheerful jingling of bells as I opened the door. I was met with the cold glare of the person working the register. I walked up to her and asked in what I hoped was a charming way, "Where's the restroom?" She jabbed a finger and I headed in that direction, eager to get away from that critical stare.

When I emerged, the cashier was gone. I glanced around, wondering where she could have been when something came at me from behind. I let out a yelp as someone shoved me onto the ground. I tumbled to the floor, breath leaving me in a loud _whoosh_ as I landed chest first.

As soon as I was on the ground, I started kicking and flailing. The person jammed an elbow on my spine, making tears come to my eyes but I ordered myself to stay strong. "On the ground. Don't get up. Now, where's your cash?"

The voice was loud and definitely masculine. My throat was dry and I barely managed to get out, "M-money? I d-don't ha-ha-have any." Worst time for a stutter _ever_.

"Designer jeans, 'course you got money." The guys' friends laughed and I tried to calm my beating heart. Why hadn't I counted how many there were outside? There had to be at least two more of them, and I probably couldn't even fend off one.

Why, why, why did I let myself get pushed around by Tori? Why did I let myself get put in this situation? I heard about this kind of stuff all the time, read it, wrote it even. Why wasn't I more careful?

It was stupid of me to be so afraid of upsetting Tori that I endangered myself. As soon as I saw these guys outside, I should've turned around and waited for Tori. Or hell, I should've peed on a tree or something if it would've been that big of a deal to her.

Where was she?

When I finally decided I wasn't getting any help from her, I looked around. Desperately, my eyes wandered the room, searching for the only person left who could help. And finally, I saw the lady who used to be working the register... lying on the ground, knocked out.

I scanned the rest of the place. No security cameras. No one to report what happened to me and nothing to record it either.

That was when the panic sunk in.

"Tell me, where's the money?" The guy was losing patience, fast. The elbow dug into my back some more. I couldn't hold in a gasp this time.

"No, I don't-"

Something made a loud _snick_. I couldn't see it, but the noise was familiar. My stomach roiled as the point dug into the skin on my neck. My heart thudded even louder. "Now, I'm going to ask you again. Do you have any money?"

I would stall, the one defense I had. It was something I saw all the time and something that I was certain couldn't be that difficult. "Y-yes. Didn't you get the m-m-money from the register?"

A snort of laughter. "Yeah. But then when we saw you walking around out there, all alone, tiny and blonde... Figured a girl like you has to have money." His voice was smug. I resisted the urge to snap something about how I'm sure he was so proud to have found a few functioning brain cells.

"Good thing we were right. Where is it?" Gone was the arrogance to be replaced by a threat that wasn't veiled at all. The knife bit deeper, this time drawing blood. I could feel the warm, viscous liquid running down my back.

"I'd have to get-" The door opened, I could feel the slight draft. With a slight twist and glance up, I noticed the thugs hadn't felt it, they were too eager to listen to what I was going to say. "I'd have to get up to show you."

A pause. "What do you think I am, stu-"

He was cut off abruptly, and for once, I was glad no one taught Derek manners. And I was also glad Derek was on my side when he growled from the doorway, "Get. Off."

**(A/N) This chapter was really difficult to write, I'm not sure why :/ I'm pretty satisfied with how it turned out in the end, what say you? :P This was supposed to replicate the scene with the girls in the alleyway.  
**

**Chapter title explanation: Chloe had a lot to deal with in this chapter. First, she has to figure out how to deal with her necromancy (Yes, that will be important later.) Then, she's dealing with some guys robbing her. It's a bit of character evolution for Chloe as she gets just a bit stronger.  
**

**Next up: Derek to the rescue! Tori being her normal wonderful self! And Chloe, finally sticking up to Tori.  
**


	18. The Accusing

**(A/N) Hello :) Glad the last chapter was well received, as always, thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing!**

The air got heavier. Tension throbbed, and I wasn't sure if it was because of all the testosterone or something much more dangerous. There was a weird growling and it took me awhile to realize it was the same noise Derek made when defending me from Tori's mom. A chill crept along my spine and I waited to be released.

I frowned when I realized the weight wasn't lifting. If anything, the jerk pinned me to the ground even tighter, knife digging into my skin more. I couldn't help it. I let out a cry of pain. My shirt was probably soaked in blood and bound to draw attention. We'd need to get me new clothes.

"Get off her, _now_." It took me a second to decipher the snarl. It was guttural and fierce; the coldness brought on by fear increased.

The guy only laughed. It rattled me and I clenched my mouth shut so I wouldn't yelp again. "What, does it make you angry, cutting up her tiny little body? She _is_ pretty cute, you're a lucky guy." The knife cut in just a bit deeper, if he kept going like that I'd probably pass out. It was actually kind of a miracle that I was still awake, but with Derek's smothering presence, adrenaline filled me and kept me up.

This time I couldn't understand what Derek said it all. I could feel the guy on top of my shifting, maybe our of nervousness. "We've all got knives, what are you gonna do?" A pause. "Hey, where'd they—"

Just like that, I wasn't being crushed anymore. I could hear a loud cough and when I sat up, I saw that Derek had barreled into the guy and was currently picking him up by the collar. He smashed the guy into a wall, still holding him up. He was saying something, but I couldn't understand any of it, the sounds too animalistic.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry!" His eyes were wild as he continued pleading, "I'm sorry we messed with your girlfriend, we didn't—" He was cut off again as Derek slammed him again.

There was no crunch which made me let out a sigh in relief. But the thug was slumped against the wall, clearly unconscious. Derek was bringing him back again, ready to shove him against the mildew-coated wall.

What was wrong with him? I was alright, he could have seen that. The danger was gone, but he didn't let go. He just held him there for an agonizingly long moment.

I tore my gaze away from Derek and looked at the boy. The sheer terror on that guy's face would be something I'd always remember. So why wasn't I doing anything to make Derek release him? I was more independent than any of the stupid heroines in the movies, I could stop him. I had to stop him.

I remembered what Liz told me, about how he just wasn't in control when his friends were threatened. Maybe I wouldn't have guessed it, and maybe he wouldn't have either, but he must have felt something for me to flip out so much. I darted over and somehow managed to squeeze myself between the two guys, fighting off a wave of dizziness.

The look on Derek's face made me freeze. His lips were pulled back and his brows were knit together. But it was his eyes that scared me. The green orbs were glowing almost, giving off some strange light and he was so _mad_. My hands started trembling and I clenched them into fists, hoping to hide it.

"D-d-derek, it's m-me, I'm f-f-fine!" My voice was a high pitched squeak. His nostrils flared. Slowly, he blinked. Then blinked again. I tried to remember how to use my reasonable daughter-of-a-vice-presidential-candidate voice. Forcing some authority into my tone, I said, "Put him down, please."

One hand dropped to touch the back of my neck. It brushed along my cut, which was still bleeding. For just a second, concern replaced the rage in his eyes and he grunted, "You're hurt. Bad. Really bad." Then he glanced at the one who inflicted the damage on me and the fury swelled up again. He'd glance at me then him, then me then him.

Firmly, but with a touch of sympathy, I murmured, "So is he." When his grip relaxed but he still didn't let go, I added, "Please, Derek."

The world gave another jerk and I struggled to remain upright. I closed my eyes for a second before snapping out of it. I had to help Derek.

I uncurled one hand, placed it on his chest, and gently prodded him. More anger ebbed away, and I pushed him back just slightly. Suddenly, he changed. Horror washed over his face. The other hand fell away and the guy crashed to the floor. Derek glanced at the person slumped on the ground, mouth open slightly in shock.

It was gone quickly. For a second it was like he was scrambling, looking for something else to feel other than that awful shame. I almost felt bad, but then he found his other emotion. Frustration. He glowered at me and snapped, "Why are you in here? Alone?"

I blinked and tried hard not to flinch away. After I saw how angry he got, I was worried he'd turn that on me, pick me up and... "I-I had to go to the b-bathroom. Tori didn't want to come in, so I…"

"Oh, no," A voice chimed in from behind us, "don't you dare blame me, Chloe."

I turned to see her, eyes not on me, but on Derek. She was angry with him. "Well, nice going, you've petrified her. No longer our cute Energizer bunny, huh? Not that I can blame her. I'm surprised she didn't run screaming. And you guys say _my_ temper tantrums are bad."

Derek's head whipped toward me and I struggled to keep my face level. I wasn't scared of him. Not really. And I couldn't let the tiny bit of fear in me show through. He backed away, hand dropping off the back of my neck. "Heal her," He muttered to Tori, not looking at either of us.

She walked around to me. She lifted my shoulder-length hair and sucked in a breath. I could feel her breathing along my neck, then Derek's too when he looked over to assess the damage. "Ouch."

For a second, I was astonished that Tori actually sounded sympathetic. Then I was panicked because, after all, if Tori was sympathetic then it must have been bad. "Just cast the spell," Derek snapped.

I winced as Tori worked her magic, literally. It was... weird. Being healed didn't feel good. It actually really, _really_ hurt; kind of like in that one instant of magic they compressed all the pain it would have taken for you to heal naturally.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

Then there was one of those awkward silences. Everyone was looking at each other. We all probably had something we wanted to say, but none of us wanted to be the first to speak. Finally, Derek said, "We should go outside."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we wouldn't want you to get arrested for assaulting this guy. But then again, there _is_ a reason they make laws against attacking people. What if he doesn't get up? What if he's-"

Derek flinched away like he'd been slapped. In a way, I guess he kind of was. "I'm gonna go find Simon. We need to go shopping soon, get you new clothes. Gotta rest first, though, you lost a lot of blood." He spoke apathetically, and he didn't wait for anyone to reply before walking out the door.

"That's right, just run away from the poor guy!" She was shouting, and I didn't realize it until she let out a sigh of relief that she was scared. Of him. I remembered how wide-eyed she looked before and how unwilling she'd been to get near him.

"What was that?" I asked her, feeling what I knew was probably an unreasonable anger swell up inside me. She was right, after all. That guy could be seriously injured, and Derek just walked away. Like he didn't care.

But that was the thing. He did care. He cared a lot. In a way, he was probably even more scared of himself than the person who got beat up was. And Tori just confirmed his worst fear: that he was a monster.

"I was putting him in his place. What, don't say you'll actually defend him? After what he did?"

I drew myself up. "Yes, I am! He didn't mean to, he just... just lost control."

"Yeah? Okay, he just lost control." There was a pause. She was baiting me, but the worst part was that I sunk my teeth onto that dangling hook, just waiting to be reeled in. "Sure, it could have been a mistake. If it hadn't happened before. How do you know that when I interrupted you before I didn't save your life?"

My jaw dropped. "You know, he can probably hear you. You thought he was going to _kill_ me?"

She said nothing for a moment. Then, finally, "I know he can. And of course not. He's not that stupid, but he has done it before. Killed, I mean." She shuddered, the slight tremor shaking her whole body. "You weren't there. It was... freaky."

Maybe if she'd been warning me off some other person, I'd have appreciated this more. Maybe it could have been the start of a friendship, but it was Derek she was talking about. Derek, who was more or less my friend in some weird way. "He might have saved your life, Tori, and you don't even care! Back when you were escaping Lyle, what choice did he have? They were shooting at you. You guys didn't stand a chance."

Her eyes flashed. "I had my spells!"

"And what if you supercharged one," I paused before stressing, "on accident, not because you're homicidal?" Honestly, the jury was still out on that one. In any case, she didn't reply. "Would that have been your fault?"

She still didn't answer. I almost wanted to apologize because for once, she was looking away, like she might have been offended. Then, she picked up her head and told me, "Fine, whatever you say. Go chase after him if you want, I don't give a damn. But if he hurts you, don't say I didn't warn you."

She waltzed out of the shop, me following her shortly after. I could barely make out Derek's hulking figure, but he was still visible. Taking in a deep breath, I sprinted after him, ready for the biggest battle of wills ever.

**(A/N) Right, so that's that. This was supposed to be leaning more toward the scene in the alley with the girls, though I had to change the genders for plot purposes (explained next chapter) and just to mix things up. There WILL be a scene SIMILAR to the one with Liam and Ramon in it - though if you guessed it will not feature those two specifically, then you would be guessing right. I may be able to squeeze them in later, if you guys really want.  
**

**Next chapter: Chloe's talking to Derek, in which we learn a bit more about him as she tries to convince him he's not a monster. This should be fun ;P  
**


	19. The Disagreeing

**(A/N) So, a bit more Chlerek coming :) Yay! And I know, I'm kind of late, but I have a major poetry project due soon-ish and most of my time writing has been dedicated to that.  
**

I was sure he knew I was behind him. His hearing was freaking insane, so he definitely should have been able to hear my footsteps. He didn't slow down though. If anything, he sped up, though he was pretty subtle about it. Finally, in a last resort, I called out, "Derek!"

It was kind of funny. Last time I talked to him, he was coming to me. This time, I was flagging him down. Last time, he cheered me up, in some weird way. Hopefully I could do the same for him. It was the least I owed.

"Derek!" I hollered again, increasing my speed even though my half-shout was a bit breathy already.

I could hear him sigh, and I was pretty sure that was his intention. He turned to face me slowly, looking bored. Of course, I knew he wasn't really bored. Derek never was. He was always watching, always observing every detail with those impossibly green eyes. "What do you want?"

"To talk to you, what else." I slowed in front of him before taking in several deep breaths. The world went black for a second before fading into normalcy. Then it blackened again. I winced. Head rush.

He jutted a hand out, placing it on my shoulder to steady me. I started to say thanks but he shook his head and I took in more shuddering breaths. "Shouldn't be running. Lost too much blood."

I held up a finger. He wouldn't walk away, not now that I needed him. In fact, that was probably the only reason he turned around at all, because he heard my struggles and didn't want me to collapse or something. After all, he would have been the one to carry me.

Breathing more deeply, the world finally started to fall into place again. Attempting a joke, I told him, "Don't worry, I won't pass out. Too cliché, not my style." He rolled his eyes.

Of course, he didn't say anything. It wasn't like I was expecting him to. Even though I didn't know Derek, I knew enough about him to say that he tended to avoid things that made him uncomfortable. That, or he'd just try and intimidate the person bringing the subject up.

"So are you okay?"

_Bad question, Chloe,_ bad _question. _He shot me a look of disbelief and I hurried on, "I mean, I know you're fine physically! I just meant, like, are you okay with what happened? With what you did?"

_Way to make it worse. _"Not that you... I'm just... I..."

Sighing, I stopped talking as the fire dimmed slowly from his eyes and he just sat there, blankly staring at me. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

With him standing there, bearing that look of forced indifference, I could find words. He wasn't allowed to do this to himself. Not a single person should be allowed to tear their being down so much. "I was there, Derek! I'm not stupid, and I'm not blind. I saw the look on your face."

He shrugged. "Are you alright?"

The question took me by surprise. "I-I'm fine?" I bit down on my lip in confusion, trying to decide what he was getting at.

"Then I am too."

It was supposed to be the end of the discussion. But I wasn't letting him off that easily. "Why do you do that? Why do you bottle it all up?"

"Bottle what up?"

He was trying to annoy me. I could tell by the way he flicked the words at me, like he was daring me to continue on pursuing him. He was trying to convince me that he wasn't worth it, wasn't worth the argument.

I'd always been a compassionate person. I might not have been liked by everyone, but whenever I saw people in the bathroom crying, I'd always ask what was wrong. It wasn't fair for anyone to be so sad that they'd have to lock themselves away just to feel better.

That was exactly what Derek was doing now. And yes, he did annoy me, a lot. But more than anything, he just made me more determined to crack his stupid shell. I placed my hands on my hips and set my jaw.

"You're not okay. Forget that I asked. I'm changing my question." I folded my arms across my chest, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. "Do you want to, I dunno, talk about it?"

Another amazingly stupid question. Apparently, Derek thought so too because suddenly, he wasn't pretending like he was alright. His resolve crumbled, and he looked so angry that I wished he would actually let me comfort him.

"No. No, I don't want to talk about it. What is there to talk about, Chloe? I could have _killed_ that guy. I wasn't watching, and he could have died. If you passed out, he probably would have. Because of me."

The revelation surprised me, but it shouldn't have. I'd known he would say something like that, but I was hoping he wouldn't. It would have made this so much easier if I didn't have to hear the way he spat the words out.

I realized that he wasn't angry at me. He wasn't angry at the guy. He wasn't angry at Tori.

He was angry at himself.

Slowly, but with conviction, I protested, "What? That's not true! You would have stopped yourself."

"How do you know?"

That was the thing. I wasn't sure how he would have stopped himself, but I had this feeling in my gut that he would have. "I just know," I whispered turning my face up to look at him directly.

He barked out a laugh. "Coming from the girl who's known me less than a week."

"Coming from the girl who's trained to be able to read people like an open book."

That gave him pause. I filled the void with what I hoped was a gentle, but firm tone as I spoke, "Everyone has an escape, Derek. Everyone has a different way of coping with things. You wanna know what mine is?"

The glare he offered said that he really didn't and that he wanted to walk away. But he wouldn't because then I'd chase after him. And then, maybe I really would pass out, which he'd probably blame himself for. We both knew he didn't deserve any more guilt. Or at least, _I _knew. Wasn't too sure about him being aware of how good he really was.

"I write scripts and stuff, yeah. When it's too much dealing with people at school thinking I'm insane, I can zone out and plot. But when I'm at home and I'm sick of my dad not being there, of my aunt being the only one, sitting in my room only reminds me and makes me feel worse."

Insert dramatic pause. I could feel myself smiling. "Know how I told you I had a backpack? Yeah, it's one that's all beat up and broken in. What do I use it for? Stuffing a sketchbook and pencils in there while I climb trees."

I lifted my chin defiantly, meeting his gaze which was still upset, but now maybe a bit.. amused? I smiled wider. "Yes, Derek, I climb trees. Like a monkey." He almost started to smile, but then caught himself. He felt that he should be upset so he wouldn't allow himself to be cheered, which would make my job more difficult.

This wasn't something I told anyone. Nobody knew that I climbed trees to get away from everything, and nobody knew why. So why was I sharing this piece of information with Derek?

To prove that I believed in him. That I knew he and I were different, but alike in so many other ways. "When you're up there, it's like you can see the whole world. When you can see the whole world, sometimes you can pretend like you exist outside of it." My voice took on a dreamy quality. "It's peaceful."

"Why'd you tell me that?" His voice was low and gruff. Uncertain.

I held up a finger. "I was getting to that. My point is that we all need to get away from things. We all need to get away from ourselves every now and then, get lost in something different."

There was a moment's pause. Derek's eyes glittered as he regarded me seriously. I could feel my cheeks heat as he observed me. What was he looking for?

With one flop of my heart, I wondered about something much more important. Would he _find_ what he was looking for? Did I measure up?

He blinked slowly after my face turned cherry-red. He looked taken aback, then even more unsure. Then he seemed to decide that he was done, and his eyes began to smolder, rather than burn with such intensity I worried I'd catch fire.

"I run. Work out. That kind of thing."

Must've passed his test. I couldn't help but grin at the slightest bit of progress. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Helps sometimes." _But sometimes it doesn't_. He didn't say it, but he didn't have to.

My smile fell away. "Now to introduce point two: sometimes escaping doesn't work. Sometimes you have to _talk_ about what's going on. You know, closure."

He didn't response for awhile. Finally, when he talked, he didn't mean what he was saying. "Fine, whatever. I'll talk about it."

"With who?" I snapped, angry that he'd try to lie to me. _Why_ was he lying to me?

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, does it?"

"Yes, it does! It matters because I know you don't mean it, that you won't talk about it." My voice softened. "You don't have to, not today. But eventually, the pressure'll be too much. And you'll explode on someone and you'll wish you listened. Wouldn't want it to be Simon, would it?"

Derek was a guy who liked logic. That was something I'd figured out. I'd just presented an excellent argument, and he seemed to be taking that into consideration. Finally, he settled on the last card he had. "You don't want to talk about it with me. Not with someone who isn't human."

"I'm not human either!"

He rolled his eyes. "You're definitely human, Chloe." His gaze darkened and he stared off over my shoulder. "You don't know what I am."

What he was. "Then tell me." So I could tell him it didn't matter. "You'll still be my friend."

His eyes snapped to me. "Friend?"

Like he hadn't even considered that's what we were. After a brief moment, he nodded.

We were both silent until I murmured, "You won't tell me. Not today. But I'll find out, eventually, and I won't care, I swear."

"You will."

"No I won't."

"Yes."

"No!"

I pouted. The whole time, he'd been deadly serious until that moment. He grinned, so quickly, I thought I'd imagined it. I realized I must've looked about five years old, and been acting like it, and I scowled more until I realized that wasn't helping my case.

I sighed, trying not to seem too dramatic. That was the end of that conversation. "I need to talk to Simon about something," He informed.

Nodding, I said that was fine. He started to lead the way, steering me back in the direction we came. Before we got too close, I said, "Derek?"

No response. I went on, "Someday, we'll go for a run together. And we'll find a tree big enough to hold both of us."

He smirked. "We'd have to go to California, find one of those Redwoods."

But he didn't argue, and that made my stomach turn in weird, confusing flips.

**(A/N) Alright. So I know that Derek handled this a lot differently than he would have in the books, but I'll be getting to that in a few chapters - I do have a reason for this! Was he still in character enough?**


	20. The Separating

**(A/N) O_o… you sure do like your Chlerek, don't you? Thank you for all the reviews! There is, unfortunately, no Chlerek in this chapter, unless you really squint. But there will be soon. As in, next chapter ;)**

We walked along, not speaking. It wasn't an uncomfortable, choking silence. We'd just said all that needed to be said and I'd never been one for idle small talk. Apparently, Derek never had been either.

He always knew where he was going. He didn't pause, just made subtle adjustments in our direction after tilting his head slightly. It was weird, watching him. There was a part of Derek that seemed confident in himself. An arrogance that I'd never noticed.

True, he was a jerk, always being brutally honest. I just never figured that stemmed from a superiority complex, though it made sense. When he thought he was right about something, it wasn't up for debate. He just knew what he knew, and that was that. He had weaknesses, that much was evident. Yet he was still sure of what he was doing, and looking back, in most cases he always seemed that way.

After awhile, I could make out Tori's slim, womanly figure standing next to Simon's much lankier frame. Derek walked more quickly, not glancing behind him to make sure I was keeping up. "Stupid short legs," I grumbled, increasing my speed to a light jog.

Tori and Simon started making their way toward us, meeting us half-way to their original waiting spot. It was growing dark again, sky painted hues of gold and pink in a sunset I wished I could appreciate more. We were in a nicer part of town, with a run-down motel that I was hoping we'd stay at because it definitely beat an alleyway or something.

Derek jerked his head toward Simon, motioning for him to follow. Then they both turned and shot warning glances at Tori, who actually flushed, looking embarrassed. When she caught me looking, she scowled.

"What?" She snapped.

I wanted to roll my eyes and tell her to drop the diva act, but instead just asked, "Who put your panties in a twist?"

The frown grew more pronounced as she pointed at her retreating brother. "Who else?" She shrugged. "God, he just treats me like I'm a stupid little kid that doesn't know anything!"

For a moment, I debated telling her that I understood, that I got the little kid treatment as well. Instead, I made the decision to just walk away from her and let her fume. Maybe once she cooled down we could talk, try and patch things up, even if just a little bit. I took a few steps in the direction of Simon and Derek when the latter turned, hearing my movement. "Stay there."

"Why?"

A snort, like I'd just asked the most pointless question ever. "Because I said so."

I bit down on a retort about how that was the worst excuse in the book. I was probably pouting again, and I didn't want to listen to any snide comments from Tori so I just turned back to her, ready for a rant. Instead, I earned the snark I'd tried so carefully to avoid. "Such a good little puppy, aren't you?"

Her voice was a mocking coo. I half expected her to pinch my cheeks, just like my grandma used to do. And still did. "Whatever," I tossed at her, not in the mood for her stupid games.

"Aw, Chloe's mad? Sad you didn't get your treat before they walked away?"

I resisted the urge to bang my head on a nearby pole or to slap her silly. To think I'd wanted to act civil around her. "Shut up, Tori," I muttered.

She only laughed, sounding bitter. She didn't talk for awhile then just said, "I guess they do treat you the same way they treat me. Y'know, always being on the outs."

"Nah. At least they don't think you're a damsel in distress."

The chuckling increased. "At least they actually care about whether you're hurt. At least you matter. Me? I'm someone they can't get rid of. A pain."

I resisted the urge to tell her she brought it on herself because something in the way she spoke stirred sympathy. She sounded almost longing, and she definitely sounded sad.

That, I understood. Derek and Simon had their own little group. It was almost like high school, where once people form their cliques, outsiders have a hard time fitting in. They don't want to like you, so even if you're really alright, they refuse to admit you're "one of them."

Derek and Simon did accept me. I was even their friend. But when it came down to it, who would Derek turn to when he needed to discuss something important? Simon. I thought we'd made progress, but I must have guessed wrong because the guys were still off in their own little world, linked by a really cool guy that I would probably wish was my dad, too.

"I'm sorry."

She glared at me before flicking a chunky strand of black-brown hair out of her face. "Yeah, don't be. I don't need anyone's pity." Which was her way of saying she didn't need anything or anyone. If she wanted to believe that, then that was okay. I wouldn't burst her bubble.

Tori was moody. She'd go from being a complete witch (not the magical kind) to being upset to being almost friendly. It was confusing and messed with my mind, which I didn't appreciate in the slightest. At the moment, she was in one of her more depressed states, and I didn't want to turn that into anger. She seemed to be thinking the same thing, so we let the ball of conversation drop.

I looked away from her and instead searched for the guys. Sure enough, they weren't that far. I could see Derek looming over Simon, who was gesturing emphatically, occasionally pointing over to me and Tori. For just a second, judging by how fast Simon's mouth was moving, I was worried he was casting a spell. I exchanged a glance with Tori, who looked dismayed.

They were glancing over at us a lot. Derek scowled when he finally noticed us watching, then glowered at Tori like it was her fault. Actually, he kind of glared at her like _everything_ was her fault. Child hunger included.

We waited maybe ten minutes until finally, I saw Derek back away, shrugging. Simon opened his mouth, then closed it. Finally, he said something (I could detect more than a few curse words by reading his mouth) and they both headed back over to us. Derek had won whatever battle they were in.

Once they got back, Simon sighed. "I know you guys won't like this much." Uh oh. He was using his 'please understand, Chloe' tone that I'd gotten just before I'd discovered what I really was. Definitely bad news. "I'm just gonna throw this out there: this was one hundred percent his idea." Insert head bob in his brother's direction. "I did go along with it but—"

"We're separating you guys," Derek interrupted.

My brow furrowed in confusion. Sure they weren't implying…? I shook my head. "What do you mean?"

He stared at me, almost in contempt. I lifted my eyebrows, silently telling him to stop treating me like a little kid, something I hadn't really noticed until Tori pointed it out earlier. His eyes softened slightly. "You and Tori will be traveling separately. Simon with Tori, you with me."

I backed away, my fears confirmed. "Wh-what? Why?"

"Because I let you go into that shop by yourself," Tori said flatly. She was almost as good as Derek when it came to putting on that emotionless mask. Still, I could detect more than a little animosity. "I would have gone back!"

She looked down at me then, pleading in her eyes. Begging for me to defend her. She was displaying such a great weakness, to me of all people, that I couldn't help it. I blurted out, "She would have. P-p-please don't, Derek."

He wasn't buying it. "No. She wouldn't have. Not until it was too late."

Tori's voice trembled slightly. "Look, I'm sorry! I swear, I am. I won't do it again, just don't do this."

It took me a minute to realize why she was so wounded. Then I remembered. She wanted to be accepted by these people. Her mom didn't love her, and evidently, these guys didn't love her either. They'd just confirmed her worst fears. That she was nothing but scum, nothing but a waste of space who didn't even deserve to be alive.

And it was because of _me_. Apparently, we seemed to realize this at the same time. She looked absolutely horrified when she stared at me. Horrified at who or what, I wasn't entirely sure.

"Do you really think she'd pull anything?"

"Yes," Derek said, clearly losing patience. His tone still held that condescending note, and I resisted the urge to interrupt and tell him that really wasn't necessary. "She already attacked you once. Then, she let you get stabbed. What are you waiting for, a third strike? One that could be fatal? Are you suicidal or something?"

Angrily, I drew myself up. It didn't do much, but the action seemed to give Derek pause. "No, I'm not." My tone was icy, and I patted myself on the back. "I can take care of myself, you don't need to make this kind of decision without—"

He interrupted. Again. "No, you can't watch out for yourself. If you could, then you wouldn't be here in the first place." A pause, then he spoke the most infuriating words yet, and he spoke them like they were an afterthought. "I just want to make sure you'll be okay."

The concern in his eyes drove me mad. Why? He didn't mean it. I still remembered what he'd told me during one of our first encounters. I didn't think I'd ever forget, and it was wrong for him to think I would. To think I was stupid. The stupid, stupid girl he thought I was.

And after all I'd done for him. After actually _caring_ for him.

I'd thought we were friends. I'd thought that maybe I'd proven to him that I trusted him, and that he trusted me. Yet he wouldn't take my word on something so simple. And more than that, he _lied_ to me. He lied to me to make me feel better, he lied to me so I'd do what he wanted. Which drove me positively insane.

There was something else bothering me too, but I shoved that away to dwell on later. Right then, I just wanted to be mad.

"Like hell!" I snapped.

It had been coming. I knew it was. The big explosion that I'd been bottling up for days. "Don't even go there, Derek," I raged. "Don't _even_ go there. The only reason I'm here is _not_ because you're dead-set on protecting me. You don't care about me. You care about a precious necromancer being alive for you to manipulate and use. You can't risk me being hurt by Tori or anyone else, but it's for your own purposes.

It has nothing to do with me. Don't say it does because I don't believe you, and I never will. I'm just an instrument. Nothing more."

Everyone looked stunned. Especially Tori, like she didn't think I had it in me to be cruel. Was that I was? Cruel, for being honest? Maybe, but at that point I didn't care.

I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. "You want me to go with you, then fine. But I don't have to like it."

Then I crossed my arms on my chest, indicating I was done. He still looked surprised that I'd yelled at him. He wasn't offended though not even remotely, which seemed to prove that my suspicions were right. My opinion didn't matter to him.

I wanted him to say that I was wrong. To _prove_ to me that I was wrong, to go back and make me eat my own words. That wasn't Derek's style though, and judging by the way he just directed me away from Tori without a word, I was right.

He didn't care about me, not the way that I cared about him. And that really hurt, a lot more than it should have.

**(A/N) Hrm, not sure what the response to this will be. A more in-depth explanation to Chloe's reaction will be coming up next chapter, don't worry! And you'll remember something like this does happen in The Summoning, which is partially what drew inspiration for this scene. Plus, I just wanted Derek and Chloe to travel together for awhile.  
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	21. The Venting

**(A/N) I just wanted to say thank you for sticking with me – I love reading all of your reviews, and it makes me feel good to know that people enjoy my writing.**

**So, as a reward, here's a little bit of Derek opening up ;)**

We didn't say anything while we traveled. I wasn't entirely sure where we were going, in fact, I had no idea where we were going. I knew Derek would take us to the right spot, so I didn't bother worrying.

I didn't feel like talking to him, so I didn't ask. Normally, I would have, just for an excuse to talk to somebody. Now, with him looking over at me occasionally and opening his mouth, it seemed our roles were reversed.

"Chloe?" He finally said, sounding suspicious.

"Yes, Derek?" I replied, voice perfectly blank.

He seemed taken aback for a moment by the apathy I spoke with. Then he got over it and asked, "Aren't you mad?"

"Who said I wasn't?"

He scowled that familiar scowl. "No one. It's just, you're not yelling. Or arguing. You're just..." He made a gesture with his hands, looking helpless as he tried to find words to communicate what he was saying.

I wanted to help him, smile and offer my opinion. Instead, I fixed a stony stare on him, lifted an eyebrow, and sarcastically asked, "Is that what you would prefer?"

"No."

I couldn't blame him for expecting me to scream some more. I'd chewed him out pretty badly earlier, but I was over that now. Now? I was going to act mature. Just not let him get to me.

In turn, _I'd_ gotten to _him._ He was confused, trying to figure me out. Part of me liked that he was putting forth some kind of effort, but part of me wished he'd just go away and leave me alone. I wasn't sure which part was bigger, so I just stuck to my guns and acted like he wasn't bothering me. Like I'd never exploded on him, like he'd never pissed me off.

Coolly, I returned, "Okay, then."

He blinked, brow crinkling again, this time in puzzlement. He was staring at me, hard, like maybe my face would reveal something. I made sure it didn't. Then, he blinked again, over my shoulder.

Derek was concentrating. On what, I wasn't entirely sure, but I could've sworn I heard him mutter, "I don't know why I even care. Or bother."

I didn't either. Normally, I would've tried to figure it out. But I was too angry and upset to go into 'crack Derek's shell' mode.

He turned his glistening green eyes on me. They caught the light from a street lamp, illuminating them rather beautifully. I stared at his nose instead. "I thought we could stop at a motel. Give you a real break for a night." The way he said it was even more uncertain than before, like he thought for sure I'd start yelling at any given moment.

I didn't say anything about how I'd be fine if he wanted to keep traveling. I just told him in the same scarily even tone, "Okay."

Silence.

I kept walking, but he didn't insist on power walking like earlier. In fact, he seemed to match his pace to mine while still being the leader, which confused me. What had caused the sudden change?

"Chloe?" This time, i could definitely pick up on his uneasiness. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, looking kinda cute, like an embarrassed five year old. Honestly, it was a good look for him, with none of the hardness I'd come to expect.

"Yes, Derek?"

He stopped abruptly before turning to face me directly. "I'm..."

He cut himself off and started walking again, this time at a normal pace. Over his shoulder, he tossed a muttered, "Never mind."

* * *

The room wasn't anything special. Just a double bed and a couch, which Derek pointed to and said he'd sleep on. I didn't argue, just plopped down on my bed and turned on the TV, hoping to find a movie that I liked.

Finally, I settled on a romantic comedy I never would've chosen if I had any other options. I held in a groan as the cheesy plot unfolded. Unbelievably gorgeous guy likes unbelievably gorgeous girl who, in turn, realizes the feelings are mutual. Complete crap, if you asked me. Apparently, Derek thought so too. "You watch these things?"

"No."

He didn't say anything, then ground out, "Oh."

He shut up after that and let me watch the remaining thirty minutes. The ending was supposed to be heart wrenching, but I only rolled my eyes and murmured, "Oh, please." I turned the TV off, not feeling up to sitting through another dose of pure torture.

I glanced over at the clock. 9:30. Too early to go to bed? Clearly, I wouldn't be talking to Derek-

"This is just getting weird," He said.

So apparently, I would be talking to Derek.

"What is?" Even though I clearly knew what he was talking about. And he knew that I knew.

He glowered at me, and I was glad to finally see him acting like himself, rather than all... nice. It didn't mean anything if he was only being kind so I'd talk to him, which I guess could have been considered flattering, but I preferred not to think of it that way.

"You're just acting stupid."

I could feel my eyes widen. "So you're trying to get me to not be mad at you by insulting me?" I stumbled over the awkward wording, but there was no other way to convey my point.

Derek was smart, and he got it. _He gets you,_ A voice whispered, and I ignored it. He snorted, jerking me back to something I could deal with. "Who says I care?"

"Oh, save it," I snapped, finally letting myself feel something. Triumph flashed in his eyes, and I wished I could take the flare of emotion back. "If you didn't care, then why bring it up? To make a point no one else cares about ?"

I was being unreasonable. I was being bitchy, and for no good reason.

What _was_ my reason?

Oh, I knew. I just didn't want to admit it because it would hurt way too much, and I refused to let Derek see me cry because he would never let it go. He'd never be the guy to hold a girl when they broke down. He'd probably just use it as ammo in the future.

_Chloe, you know that isn't true. He was being kind of sweet earlier..._

My conscience was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it. I frowned.

A quick glance at Derek, and I noticed him wearing the same look from before. "Stop that!"

"Stop what?" Genuine confusion.

I groaned, finding it harder to stay mad. I'd never been one to hold resentment, but when he was staring at me that way, it was even harder. "Stop giving me that look. Like- like you're some puppy that just got kicked." He glared at me again. "And _I'm_ the one who kicked you."

"I don't look like a puppy." He spoke carefully, like he was worried that by contradicting me I'd lose it.

Tears began to sting at my eyes. Maybe, like my anger at the world, I'd been holding them in. But I was _not_ crying. I wouldn't explode. I would deal. "I'm not pathetic, you know."

His eyes flickered. "What do you mean?"

He actually wanted to know. Derek wasn't the kind of person who would pretend to care about your problems if he didn't. If he didn't want to listen to you whine and moan, he'd walk away, no questions asked.

The fact that he actually seemed concerned about offending me was pretty amazing, not to mention out of character. And I still didn't get what caused this change. Was me getting mad at him finally a wake-up call for him to stop acting like such a jerk?

Finally, I decided that because he stopped, he deserved to know why I was mad. No one deserved to be brushed off without knowing why. I knew what that was like, and I didn't wish it on anyone, especially not one of my friends.

I shrugged, trying to figure out how to explain. "When you told me I couldn't take care of myself... I hated it. I've always hated that feeling, of being helpless. What's worse? When people think they can make it better by bossing you around. Happened to me a lot. That's why I overreacted."

When I was a girl, everyone called me Stutter. I got upset and told my aunt, so she took me to see a speech therapist. The doctor always told me it wasn't something I could control, that I was just born that way.

Later, I got told the same thing about schizophrenia. That there was nothing I could do... except let them push me around. Derek didn't know, of course, but that was how he made me feel. Like I was in an office again being told what was best for me by strangers who didn't care, who didn't want to care.

He didn't mean to. I could see it in the look that flashed across his face for just a second. He wouldn't say it, though, because he didn't know how to talk to people. He understood. I could see that, too.

I looked at him then, really looked at him. A sharp jawline with a strong nose. Pale, but not sallow, skin with a few slight acne scarring discolorations, nothing noticeable unless you were openly staring at him like I was. And of course, his beautiful eyes.

I imagined the look on my face. Daring him to speak because I knew there was something on the tip of his tongue. Would he say it though?

He took in a breath. "The Edison Group only experimented on a few subjects that were my kind. I'm one of them."

I nodded my head, hoping to appear encouraging. I felt my anger evaporate. He couldn't even look at me directly while he was talking, like this was incredibly painful and he didn't want to seem weak.

Only he didn't seem weak, not at all. He only seemed stronger, in my eyes.

"We're really protective. Possessive, too." A sharp laugh. "We form... cliques, you could say. Out of the five of us, there was only room for a clique of four. I wasn't part of it."

I pictured Derek, alone, even at a small age. Watching other kids enviously, wanting to talk to them, wanting to be friends with them. Then, eventually, he just wouldn't care anymore. He just wouldn't try until he became a loner, like he was now. Sympathy washed over me for about the billionth time that day.

"Sometimes, I'd try and play with them." A shadow flitted over his eyes. "They didn't like that. I was always big, always strong. Even so, when it's four against one... well, you can imagine how that went."

He shook his head, finally meeting my gaze. "I get it. What it's like."

"What what's like?"

His shoulders rolled and he set his jaw. "Being the weakest link. Or at least feeling like it."

Derek? Feeling weak? Derek _admitting_ to feeling weak? I only stared at him dumbly, not sure I'd heard him right. Finally, when I could get my brain wrapped around what he said, I replied, "We handled it differently, I bet. I let myself get bulldozed over. But you?" I smiled. "I bet you didn't take it."

"Depends on what you mean. I never... stuck up for myself when they'd hit me for no reason. I'd just wait it out. And in the end, I was the only one to survive. Sometimes, the weakest link is actually the strongest. The smartest. The most resourceful." He shrugged, and I knew that was the best compliment he'd ever given.

That wasn't why I was glowing. I felt floaty, but it wasn't all because of Derek's indirect form of flattery.

It was because he'd finally opened up to me.

"Thank you. For telling me." _For apologizing, in your own way._

He grunted. "Go to sleep. Long day ahead of us."

I nodded, and when my head hit the pillow, I could've sworn I saw one familiar pair of emerald eyes haunting my dreams.

**(A/N) What did you think? I tried to reason out Chloe's anger and hurt as well as I could, and I'm not sure if it made enough sense :/ Derek was hard to keep in character as well. Overall, this was just a difficult chapter to write, my apologies if it's not up-to-par.  
**


	22. The Overwhelming

**(A/N) Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter :D There's not as much Chlerek in this chapter, but this one's an important one!**

Derek let me sleep in. When I woke up, the light was already pouring in through the windows. When I asked him why he let me sleep in, he just gruffly told me I'd need the rest since we would be doing lots of traveling to make up for lost time. It didn't really make sense, but I only smiled at him gratefully, knowing he was just trying to do me a small kindness.

"So, what are our goals for the day?" I chirped, sipping on some of the motel's disgusting coffee. I winced and placed the mug full of acrid liquid down.

It took him awhile to respond. He was staring out the window, cheeks flushed and coated with a light sheen of sweat. Frowning, I was about to prompt him again when he rumbled, "Get as far as we can." He sounded grumpy, like he didn't think that would be much.

"Oh," I said, biting down on my lip. "Okay?"

He didn't turn to face me. I tried to talk to him so more, but the only replies I got were half-snapped. After awhile, when I was losing my patience, I noticed that his cheeks were still stained with red. Not pink, _red. _His face was more sweaty, and his fists were clenched. "Hey, you alright?"

Reaching out, I brushed my hand along his arm. He flinched away swiftly, using his crazy reflexes. Before he did, I noticed that his skin was burning hot. It was so hot that even if he didn't jerk away, I would've needed to remove my hand due to serious discomfort. That sort of body temperature wasn't normal, and it was definitely worthy of putting him in the hospital. As my eyes widened, I shouted, "Holy crap, Derek!"

"Chloe, please just shut up." He was leaning against the table, breathing heavily. His hand was twitching and he shook it out.

He was clearly annoyed, but he wasn't as concerned as he should've been. In fact, he wasn't doing anything about it. Just sitting there and taking it. Well, he could, but I wasn't going to let him just sit there and...

And die. His fever was that bad.

I remembered when my aunt got really sick once and my dad actually came home, only to higher a nanny for me. My aunt's forehead felt like that. The fact that it was Derek's _arm_ and it was still so hot...

Not good. Not good at all.

"Um-um," I stammered, rushing around the room. I raked a hand through my hair, trying to see if I could find a towel. I did. Grabbing it, I rushed into the moldy bathroom and shoved the towel under the shower-head.

The cloth quickly became saturated with icy water and I darted out of the room. Quickly, I draped it over Derek's shoulders. Ignoring the surprised look on his face, I picked the edge of the cloth up and gently wiped the sweat off his brow. "We'll get you some help, okay?"

"No," He said fervently. My hand still went for the phone. Then, in a snarl, "Don't even think about it. I thought you were smarter than that, Chloe. We can't get help, I'm a-" He cut himself off. "I'm fine. Seriously. Just... crankier than usual."

I shook my head. "What are you, crazy? Sure, you're grumpy, but only because you're burning up! I do have eyes, you know."

He lifted his chin. "I'll go to a drugstore. Grab some Tylenol. I'll be fine."

"Again, are you crazy?" He just lifted his eyebrows to my exclamation. "You can't go out when you're like this! Derek, what if-" I gulped. "What if something happens and you won't be able to take care of yourself?"

Derek snorted. "I'll be fine. I'm more concerned about you since at the moment you seem to be lacking common sense." Normally, I would've protested his calling me stupid, but even his snippy remark was half-hearted. It was almost like he didn't even have the energy to be a jerk, something that came naturally to him. His green eyes were bright, feverishly so. "So stay here, okay?"

"No, it's not okay!"

But he was already headed for the door.

Seeing there was no stopping him, I settled for a snide, "You gonna pick up a collar for me too?"

He rolled his eyes when normally I'd have gotten at least an amused smirk. I was about to protest, but then he disentangled himself from the sopping towel and dropped it. He hid his hand behind his back, but not before I noticed the muscle writhing. My eyes flared open but he rushed out the door, saying with his back to me, "Be back in an hour."

* * *

It was past an hour. Long past an hour. I fidgeted nervously.

Every minute that passed was longer than the last. So many questions (and worries) plagued my mind that I was unusually jumpy, even for me. A bird cawed outside and I jumped so hard, I banged my head on the wall behind me.

I'd always been skittish, but this was worse. I was so worried about Derek that I was bouncing my legs, something I'd never been able to do before. Probably because I'd always been told it made me look nervous, which was a huge no-no with my dad.

He said to stay put. But how could I? Maybe if I hadn't seen how bad it was, or if I hadn't felt it I could've controlled myself. Derek was sick. He was _really_ sick, and what if he was collapsed somewhere? What if he needed my help?

Sure, my medical training was limited to a few brief lessons from Aunt Lauren. She was, after all, a doctor. Surely a little knowledge was better than none, right?

Of course. After everything Derek had done for me, it was perfectly normal for me to check on him. He could be passed out in an alley, body being trampled with every passing minute. He wasn't Superman, much as he liked to believe he was invincible like the famous hero.

With new-found determination, I headed for our motel door. I ran down the steps, not having the patience to wait for the elevator. "Hey!" Someone shouted at the lobby.

I turned to face a girl chewing bright pink bubblegum. She snapped it loudly as I asked, "Yeah?"

"You and your boyfriend checking out?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. I don't think so." Then, I flushed. "He's not my boyfriend, either."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Sucks for you. He's kinda cute. At least, he would be if he wasn't so sick. Can't believe you're letting him run around while he's not well." She tsked at me, and I could feel my tail puffing out. Who was she to judge?

"That's none of your business."

She said something else about how if we weren't back in time we wouldn't be able to get another room. I ignored her and turned to leave. She wasn't worth my time. Not when Derek could be hurt and alone.

After all, he wasn't alone anymore. He had me.

Sure, Simon had been there for him. But I wasn't as easy going as Simon. I was probably harder to get rid of, too. And whenever anyone needed me, I'd be there for them.

Derek would just have to live with it.

* * *

I kept my head up when I walked. My eyes flitted over every person I passed, searching for Derek's familiar face. He'd probably scowl when he saw me, but we'd both live. Then I'd sigh in relief, and he'd chew me out but I'd be so glad he was alright that it wouldn't even bug me.

My lips twitched at the happy thought.

Since when had Derek become so important to me? I didn't know him very long. But I felt like I knew him for forever. He shared something with me that I presume was very personal. He didn't have to offer the information, but he did anyway.

He trusted me. At least, he did to a certain extent. He still wouldn't tell me what sort of supernatural he was. I kicked a nearby rock at the thought.

Strange how you can go from being happy to sad just by one simple idea.

It almost wasn't fair. He already knew what I was, so shouldn't I get to know what he was? Whenever I brought it up, he'd get that look on his face. Almost guilty and ashamed.

I wouldn't be ashamed of him. He'd proven his worth to me time and time again. He was a good friend, and he was good to me when he wasn't busy yelling. He'd shown me that last night when we talked without any harsh words. It was a pleasant change.

His strange illness could take that all away. I quickened my pace.

I knew where the Walgreens was, he'd pointed it out to me the day before. Said if we got separated or anything, we'd meet up there. So far, I was still pretty far away because I couldn't even see the building. Scowling, I wondered if perhaps I'd taken a wrong turn.

There was a slight scuffling sound behind me and I turned swiftly, body falling awkwardly into a pathetic fighting stance. What had Derek told me? I was trying so hard to remember, I barely registered it when someone wearing a ski mask flung their body at me.

Throwing any attempts at true self-defense out the window, I went for what was in my comfort zone. Slapping. I lashed out, hitting the person on the cheek. It was a woman, I decided as she let out a shriek. That, or a pre-pubescent teenage boy.

She was stumbling back. She was bigger than me, a little on the heavier side. She was taller, too. Not Tori's mom, who was slender for her age. Her voice was deep and muffled when she said, "I don't want to hurt you, Chloe."

Before I replied, I could sense her hesitation. I scanned the area around me. There were, count them, five other people. There was _no way_ I could make it through all of them. But I had to try so I could find Derek.

"Yeah, right!" I launched myself at her, which was incredibly stupid. Why had I decided to go on the offensive? But it was too late to turn back, so I settled for hooking my fingers under her mask so I could claw at her like I'd seen in all the girl-on-girl fights at school.

_Think, Chloe, think! What advantage do you have over these people?_

I hooked my fingers under her mask and yanked it off, exposing a slightly lined face and cropped brown hair, maybe chin length. Think of her as your aunt that gives you a savings bond for Christmas instead of a cool CD or something.

I was too short and small to do much real damage to her because soon she would stop hesitating. Being small did have one advantage, though. I had a higher pitched voice that would carry on. "Help," I screamed, knowing I had to make it count. Sure enough, right after that, they all descended on me.

"You rang?" Someone chirped. I spun, ready to groan at the sight of another attacker.

But what I saw was someone wearing crazy striped socks. "Liz!" I said, smiling. The calvary had come.

She smiled back before winking. She glanced around and grabbed a stick while the others blinked in confusion. All except my original attacker who gasped, staring at me in open-mouthed awe. "You shouldn't be able to..." She mumbled, stunned.

Liz smacked a stick into the stomach of one guy. Then she hit him again and again until he slumped, unconscious. Then, Liz was blinking as something blew over her figure. "I don't-" She choked on her words. "What's happening?" Her voice was quiet and far away.

I looked over from the source of the wind. The woman was blowing some sort of incense over her, and Liz faded away, her mouth open in a silent howl. My fists clenched. How _dare_ she do something like that to one of my friends?

She dropped what she was holding and came rushing at me again. She pinned me to the ground, speaking to me urgently. But I couldn't hear a word she was saying because of something I noticed that was barreling straight toward us.

It was the biggest black wolf I'd ever seen in my life.

**(A/N) That's an awful cliffhanger, I know. I'll try to update ASAP! And yes, the wolf is Derek.**

**Next chapter: Chloe finally figures it out.  
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	23. The Realizing

**(A/N) =D! Thank you so much for all the reviews from last chapter! I don't think I saw as many "HOLY (INSERT SWEAR-TYPE THING HERE)!" for one chapter. Ever.**

**That's awesome :) Thank you, seriously.  
**

The lady holding me down followed my line of sight. She looked even more surprised than me when she noticed the enormous creature running toward us. She collapsed on me, and I felt the air go from my lungs in a loud _whoosh_.

I tried to shove her off, but she was a lot heavier than me. My throat was starting to close up after I continued to try and push her away, and I gagged a little bit. Suddenly, the weight was gone. As I blinked stars out of my eyes, I wondered what could have happened.

It was the wolf. The wolf was grabbing at her coat and lifting her, dropping her onto the ground. The woman scrambled, fingers latching onto my arm. "Now, listen, dog," She spit, "Don't move or I break a bone in her body."

Could she do that? She wasn't that strong, was she? She certainly wasn't that _cruel_?

They wanted me for something or they would've just killed me when they had the chance. Instead, they tried not to hurt me - pulled their punches, so to speak.

Then, the lady proved her point as she snapped, "Just let me take Chloe here and everything will be fine,"

She wasn't talking to it the right way. When you're trying to convince an animal to do something, you speak soothingly, gently. Otherwise, they're going to feel threatened. I wanted to make a snide comment, but it proved unnecessary as the animal growled lowly.

When I stared at it - him, I finally decided for whatever reason - I noticed the weirdest thing. He was tipping his head to the side, concealing his eyes from me. When I shifted my body to get a closer look, he'd move to.

Like he was smarter than he should be. Like he was...

Then he sprang. He shot through the air with incredible grace, landing in front of the woman, pads on his feet making his landing silent. He snarled loudly and she backed away. Terror swam in her beady eyes. She fell to the ground, whimpering.

Was he _protecting _me? He hadn't even looked at me, only gotten rid of my black-clad attackers. If he was on my side, then maybe I did stand a chance.

I waited for the wolf to rip her throat out. Instead, he settled for one final threatening rumble deep inside and ran away. He was a streak of black, arcing through the air toward another person who was creeping toward me.

I was so enthralled with the wolf that I hadn't even noticed. Blinking, I told myself to wake-

I choked for the second time in two minutes. Someone had me in a vise grip from behind. He was male, I could feel it in the strength of his biceps. A little gasping sound came from my throat, though I could barely hear it because there wasn't enough oxygen in my lungs to give it any substantial amount of volume.

"We only want to help her," He said gruffly. "She's ours anyway. We made her what she is."

The Edison Group. Again. But how on earth did they find me? Though it would explain the whole 'keeping me alive' thing.

The wolf was growling loudly and constantly. His whole body trembled as the low noise escaped through clenched jowls. He let out a bark, with a snap of his jaws. I tried to get a glimpse at his face, but again, he was angled away from me. I tried to huff in frustration, but when I realized I was losing too much oxygen I stopped.

Feebly, I lashed out at him, trying to tell him to loosen his grip. He did, and I sagged against him, heaving in air. "Let go!" I shouted, waiting until I had enough strength built up. Then, with a grimace of my own, I drew my elbow back and hit him in his groin. Hard.

Letting out a moan, he sunk to the ground. I glanced over at the wolf who seemed almost to be chuckling, judging by the way his hackles were rising and falling sharply, tongue lolling out. Then, just as quickly, he turned vicious again as someone inched toward me.

I fell away, reminding myself that this creature was dangerous. We'd learned about them in school, and they didn't hesitate to kill what they wanted.

But what did he want?

The other person tried to run, but the wolf snagged onto the person's leg. Blood spattered as his sharp teeth sank down, and a soft, feminine moan of pain was heard from the woman. The small cluster of people jumped on the majestic beast, but he tossed them aside, claws slashing and teeth puncturing like it was nothing to him.

And then they were all down. Most of them were shaking a bit, probably from the shock of an animal turning so vicious, and partially from blood loss. Then he started to turn toward me...

And I ran. I moved my legs as fast as they would go (which was much faster than it would've been days ago). I wasn't certain where I was heading, but I had to get away from the creature. Before I took off, I could see the blood staining his mouth.

My fear was instinctual and inevitable. It was completely reasonable for me to run away, even if it was kind of pointless. Wolves were the ultimate predator and he would probably catch me in an instant.

_Don't think about that. Just get away._

I'd made it pretty far when i dared a glimpse behind me. There was a blur of black, but every so often, he would halt and let me get ahead. I frowned; it wasn't normal behavior, that much I was sure of.

Finally, he seemed to tire of our little game. He let out a snort that I _swear_ sounded impatient. Then, there was a slight nudge on my back. It was still enough to send me sprawling onto the ground.

Shakily, I stood up and backed against a tree. Somehow, I'd ended up in a random patch of woods. Great, just great. I'd probably get lost.

If I even made it out alive.

The wolf stalked up to me (I refused to think of him moving in any other way, even if his tail wasn't puffed up to indicate aggression) and stopped, maybe a foot and a half away. His eyes were lowered to the ground.

Then his throat was exposed. His chin was tipped up, and his most vulnerable spot was there, for me to slash as I wished. His eyes were closed.

His action was something I remembered from my class. It was, what did they call it? A sign of submission, or something like that.

Bewilderment took over my features. Why was he doing this? Why was he making himself weak and vulnerable?

He did keep me safe earlier, I finally decided. And now here he was, risking himself for me again. He reminded me of someone, the way his hackles gently shook with what seemed to be laughter, the way he was so determined to protect me, that familiar growl...

Shock started to bombard me as I began drawing my own conclusions. But there was only one way for me to really know.

"Open your eyes." My voice was a breathy whisper, but with a sickening certainty, I knew he'd hear me. Because of crazy-enhanced senses.

His lids lifted, and suddenly I knew why he was trying to hide them from me.

My whole body started to shake. "Dear god," I gasped as my knees gave out.

Moving quickly, he slid under me so I kind of collapsed on him. Normally I would've been embarrassed to rely on him so much, but I got over myself because I knew that if I hit the ground I would've passed out.

He broke my fall, then nudged me gently toward a tree, probing me with his eyes.

His stunning and familiar _green_ eyes, not blocked by any dark hair falling into them.

"Y-y-you're... b-b-but y-y-y-y-you c-c-can't..."

He looked anguished, a look I'd seen on him in his human form a few times, but never like _this_.

"Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my _god_," I chanted, unable to keep the words from spilling out of my mouth.

Finally, I looked at him and whispered, "Derek?"

A jerk of the head.

This creature was Derek, my Derek. "Oh, my god," I muttered again.

I crumbled against him again. His soft fur met my hands as I grappled from something, anything to keep me upright. I ran my fingers through the dark strands absentmindedly, like I often did with my own hair. Then I remembered that this was not an animal and flinched away.

"C-c-can you... talk?"

A snort. Then he shook his head, looking annoyed as his ear flicked to one side. I almost could have smiled at how cute he was, but then I realized the dilemma we were in. "Bu-but we really,_ really_ need to talk."

A pause, then another bob of his muzzle. He stood up slowly, giving me time to get up with him. Instantly, I missed the warmth his body heat gave me. I shivered, and he moved back closer to me, earning a smile from me.

My hand wandered to the top of his head, and I stroked it. Then I pulled away, skin flushing. Why did I just do that? He tipped his head at me quizzically, but he wasn't wearing that same irritated expression as before, indicated that he hadn't minded.

Which then led to a rather surprising question of, _I wonder if he'd mind if I ran my hands through his hair like that while he was human..._

I could feel the blush on my cheeks darkening, so I hurried ahead. He guided me through the forest, never faltering.

We finally made it to a little clearing. He shot me a look, a rather pissed off one, that clearly said to stay put. For real.

Then he ducked behind a bush for a few minutes, only to emerge a few minutes later. As a human. Or at least, he looked like a human, but I knew now that that wasn't what he was.

Though shockingly, he didn't offer me any knowledge on what was going on. Instead, he snapped, "You didn't listen."

_Here we go..._

**(A/N) A little bit shorter than usual, but I'm not sure how long the next chapter's gonna be so I'm giving myself plenty of time to work on it :D**


	24. The Trusting

**(A/N) Glad to know I did the last chapter justice :) Hope you guys love this one just as much!**

I set my jaw as he skulked toward me, looking angrier than I'd ever seen him. I refused to back away from him as he halted in front of me, eyes flashing. "Well?" He demanded harshly.

"Derek, I'm sorry, I just—"

"Wasn't thinking?" He interrupted, tone harsh. "Of course not, but I already knew that!"

Frustration of my own started to bloom. He didn't even ask me why I left, which was to help him. He didn't care about my reasons, he just wanted any excuse he had to chew me out. I raised my voice slightly. "You don't need to be like this, I didn't do anything wrong!"

Bad thing to say. Very, very bad thing to say. Immediately, his lips twisted up into a sardonic smile. "Didn't do anything wrong? Are you kidding? I specifically told you not to leave, and you did anyway." He was shouting, but there was this condescending undertone to it, like he knew he was better than me.

"Don't treat me like a child," I murmured, allowing myself to feel hurt.

For a brief second, regret flashed over his face. He must have been remembering the last conversation we'd had before he got sick… I squinted at him. Strange. He looked fine now. Maybe a little bit exhausted, but he didn't have that off-white pallor anymore.

Then the remorse was gone and he was back to yelling. "If you act like a child that doesn't know how to listen, then that's how I'll treat you. Maybe this time you'll actually get it."

I help up my hands, now furious. "Stop it! I'm not stupid, so don't treat me like I am," I fixated an icy stare on his face. "You have no right to get mad at me when I was only worried about you."

I thought for sure this would give him pause, but it didn't. "So what, I was sick! How can you not get it, Chloe? I told you to stay back because you're more important than me."

"No, Derek, _you_ don't get it!" Frustrated, I reached up and shoved him back. He must have been startled because he actually stumbled before recovering with a dizzying amount of grace. "You're important, just live with it!" Not something I would have ever imagined saying to anyone.

He shook his head. "I don't have a death wish, Chloe," His voice was more gentle now. "And I knew I'd be fine."

"I didn't."

Grabbing my chin with a surprising amount of tenderness given the fact that he was still angry, Derek began to study my face. I tried to jerk away defiantly, but he held me there firmly, but carefully enough to not bruise my skin. Finally, he released me. "You should have just listened to me. The Edison Group is clearly still after us and you could have gotten hurt."

He was running low on ammunition. Almost triumphantly, I told him, "Maybe I would have paid more attention if you let me know what was going on." Then curiously, I added, "What _was_ going on? You were fine yesterday, then suddenly you were sick and now you're better."

His eyes became shadowed again. Trying to joke, I smiled and said, "I need to get my aunt to buy me whatever Tylenol you found."

His lips quirked, but he didn't reward my lame attempt a humor with a real smile. It wasn't like I was really expecting one, not if he was going to answer my question. Which he did, hesitantly. "It happens to me. I get sick and muscle spasms when a forced Change is coming."

"You mean… you mean like… like into a wo-wo-wolf?"

He was gauging my reaction, and I wished I didn't stammer. "Yeah. Like into a wolf."

Making sure my voice was level, I asked, "So you're werewolf?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, I'm a mermaid."

I widened my own. "Oh, my god, can you communicate with dolphins?"

This time, Derek did crack a smile. It was unsure though, like he was just waiting for me to freak out and run away screaming. Finally, I murmured, "Why didn't you tell me?"

He glanced away. "Why would I?"

Exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air, but I didn't push him this time. "Because I'm your friend!" I softened my voice. "I don't care what you are. That's one thing that isn't gonna change. You're stuck with me."

His eyes jerked back to my face, and I smiled at him warmly. Something bright and special and _good_ ignited in me when I saw the brief flash of hope in his usually level green gaze.

"You were still scared of me," He told me. "When you saw me as a wolf, you were frightened."

That mushy feeling melted away and I frowned. "How did you know? You wouldn't look at me."

"I could smell it."

"That's kinda cool," I replied in an attempt to soothe him when I heard the disgust in his own words. "And can you blame me? If I'd known it was you, I swear I wouldn't have been freaked out. But all I saw was this freakin' huge wolf headed toward me. What if you wanted to eat me or something?"

He snorted. "Wolves don't eat people."

"What if you were a weird one?"

Derek looked suspicious. He had throughout the whole conversation, but it was worse now. "You're handling this too well."

I shrugged. "When I knew it was you…"

Suddenly, I recalled exactly what I thought when I knew it was Derek. _My Derek_, to be exact. My cheeks flamed, brighter than they ever had before, and I knew Derek was eyeing me curiously. I ducked my head and carefully shifted my hair with an awkward movement of my neck.

He wasn't mine. But I wanted him to be.

"When you knew it was me…?"

My blush deepened. "It-it j-j-just didn't m-matter."

He was inspecting me again, and I thanked God that he wasn't touching me. I didn't know what he was looking for, but I did know that I loved the way he was watching me way too much.

This was Derek, the worst possible guy to ever get a crush on. He didn't notice me as anything other than a necromancer, at first. Now, we were just friends. That was probably all we ever would be, too. He just didn't think of me like that.

"I'm a monster, like the ones you see in your movies," The thought snapped me out of my self-pity.

Exasperation hit me like a semi. Did he seriously think that? It would explain the death wish he claimed he didn't have. It would explain the self-hatred.

Now that I knew what he was, I could almost understand. When I thought of werewolves, I didn't think of something cool, like being a witch or a sorcerer. I thought of something terrifying that would plague my dreams, something that needed to be removed from the world.

Derek wasn't like that. If there was any reason to prove that werewolves were _not_ monsters, it would be Derek. He was smart, and a good person, if ill-tempered and a jerk at times. He wanted what was best for those he cared about, which was a strange form of love that no beast can feel.

"No, you're not." My voice was strong and powerful. It was the voice of someone who was utterly convicted, and one that spoke words of wisdom. "Being a werewolf doesn't make you a monster. Now, if you used those powers for the wrong things, then yeah, you would be."

I took a step closer to him. "But, Derek, you're still _you_. And you know, I think that's a good thing because _you_ happen to be growing on me."

"You're the only one who thinks so," His voice was so quiet, so unlike him that I had to wonder if I was talking to the same person. The look on his face wasn't exactly anguished, but it was pensive and a little angry and bitter.

My brow furrowed. "Simon doesn't think so."

His eyes grew distant. "After that thing… that thing where I killed… He didn't really ignore me, but things were different. He still saw me as me, but he also saw my wolf. It wasn't the same."

That wasn't fair to Derek. I was absolutely certain Derek never brought any of this up with Simon. They might have been brothers, but there were some things that Derek told me that he never offered anyone else. I could see it in his eyes, the uncertainty that came with sharing something for the first time.

Of course, Derek didn't expect Simon to be coming up with denials left and right. Simon was a sorcerer, not a mind reader. Derek only talked to me about things when I dragged it out of him, something Simon was probably incapable of because he lacked the patience, regardless of his love for his brother.

Derek spent too much time bottling this up, and I was starting to wonder if there was anything I could do to change that. The thought made me sad, but determined, amongst other things.

I tried to hold back my sympathy because I knew Derek would reject it the instant he read my facial expression. Instead, I settled on telling him, "Sure, things were different. Not because he hated you or thought you were a monster, but because he didn't know how to handle it."

"And you do?"

Half-smiling, I retorted, "You tell me."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he changed the subject by pulling something out of his pants pocket. He held it out to me and I turned the tiny bottle around.

It was body spray. Vanilla, my favorite. "What's this for?"

Now Derek looked sheepish. "I don't know. I did go out to the store to buy Tylenol so when I got back I could take some since you'd make me, and I saw this and I noticed you would always smell like this so…" He trailed off.

He saw it and he thought of me. A brilliant smile lit up my whole face. Sure, the body spray was the cheapest of the cheap, and would probably wear off in less than an hour, but this was so thoughtful.

Had he been paying more attention to me than I'd originally thought?

"Thank you," I said brightly, uncorking the lid and giving it a sniff. The warm, familiar smell wafted through my nose, calming me instantly.

He shrugged, like it was no big deal. But there was something about the way he did it, like it was forced, that let me know it _was_ a big deal.

That's when I got it.

This was an apology present. For yelling at me so much, for lying to me. He was trying to make up for it in his own indirect way, without having to sacrifice his pride by apologizing.

And maybe, this was a thank-you gift. For helping him, when apparently, no one else would.

My smile was still in place, even after he turned away from me.

**(A/N) Remember what I said in chapter 19, about how I had a reason behind Derek seeming even more closed-off about his past than in the books?**

**Here it is: I wanted it to show that when Derek didn't have Chloe, he didn't have anyone he could TRULY open up to. In the books, you see that Simon doesn't even know how to handle Derek's wolfiness if you squint. I decided to take that and magnify it, going so far as to say "What if he didn't have anyone? If Chloe was the only one who got Derek, who REALLY got him, then how would he be different in that respect?"**

**Just thought I should clear that up!**

**Also, I know Derek may seem a little angsty, but he does get that way on occasion.**

**Reviews are love :D**


	25. The Shocking

**(A/N) Hi :) Sorry it took me awhile to update, I was planning on uploading a chapter on Wednesday but then I got sick and I figured no update was better than a crappy update :P**

Derek was glancing up at the sky before cursing when he noticed the clouds that were stretching across the darkening expanse. "We need to move faster," He told me, not quite apologetic but not sternly either.

He was glowering at the sky even as he started moving his legs quicker and I had to half-jog to keep up. "How come?"

"The Edison Group got pretty advanced over the past few years." He shrugged. "If we stay in one spot for long, like a couple of days, they'll track us. They track us, they take you away. They take you away and we're all screwed." While he was talking, he continued to increase his speed.

Laughing a little breathlessly, I told him, "Derek, we're not running the marathon." He turned his glare on me. "Seriously, calm down."

He looked almost panicked, and I didn't really understand why. We didn't stay in any one place for more than a single night, so we weren't in the exact danger he was describing. So what would explain his paranoia?

I held out a hand and placed it on his arm. He stopped, and sucked in a breath like he was trying to keep himself from yelling at me, which I appreciated. "What's going on?" My voice was meant to be soft, but it came out more urgently than I'd intended.

"Nothing." He popped his jaw out, another sign that gave away his frustration. "I just told you."

Irritated, I rolled my eyes. "You just told me a lie. I'm not that stupid or sheltered. I know we haven't been _that_ stationary. At least, not stationary enough for us to get tracked. I deserve to know whatever freaked you out."

"I'm not-" He started before reconsidering. "I lost it."

Confused, I chewed down on my lip, thinking his words over. Finally, when no obvious explanation jumped out at me, I asked hesitantly, "Lost what?"

I never liked asking Derek to explain things to me. Something I'd noticed about Derek was that he was smart. Really smart.

The thing about really smart people is that when people less intelligent ask a question, they think you're stupid for not being on the same level as them. They'd always get this look in their eyes that almost screamed, "Why am I wasting my time on someone like you?"

I didn't want Derek to think that way of me. Well, I didn't want _anyone_ to think that way about me, but definitely not him.

"I lost their trail," He reluctantly said after a long and awkward pause. "Their scent trail."

I could feel myself frowning. "Does that happen often?"

His head went back a few inches. Derek turned a critical stare on me. "What? No comments or questions about my weird sense of smell?"

Grinning, I teased, "I didn't know that asking questions was allowed. Figured you'd chew me out."

He shook his head. "You're right. You deserve to know what's going on. I know you can take it."

His praise was offhand, but it still made my heart leap and my smile widen even more. At this rate, I'd have some serious pre-mature wrinkles that my dad's publicist would probably make me get Botox for.

"So, you can follow people's scent?" I asked, ready to test out this new seek-and-ye-shall-find philosophy between Derek and me.

He bobbed his head curtly, black hair falling into his eyes a bit, partially shielding the emerald hue. I clenched my hand slightly so I wouldn't reach up and brush it away. "To a certain extent. I don't usually lose the trail." Bitterness leeched out any of the arrogance I would have thought he'd feel. "I'm a pretty good bloodhound."

"That's how you found me, right? When you were a wolf?"

Derek nodded again. "It's easier when I'm a wolf."

"Is that why you, uh-" I cut myself off, fumbling for the right word. "Morphed?"

_Way to make him sound like a science experiment._

He glanced away, eyes finding the sky. "It's getting dark." His head turned, taking in the surroundings.

He completely dodged m question. I fought back a dozen rude things to say, all of them involving how he promised he'd actually answer my questions. But if Derek said he'd answer, then he would. Eventually.

"Yeah," I observed. The sky was streaked through with a dark midnight color, but when I turned my head in the opposite direction, I could see lots of pink and orange. "Pretty though."

He snorted. "Something you would notice."

"Hey!" I protested, lifting an arm to feebly whack him. "What's that supposed to mean?" I could feel myself pouting, so I straightened my mouth to avoid looking like a sulking five-year old. I didn't need any help in the whole "looking younger than my actual age" department.

He tilted his head to look at me. "You're pretty good at finding positives in everything. It's weird."

I ignored the jab. "What would life be without happiness? So what if you have to find it yourself, even in unconventional things. It's better than feeling miserable all the time."

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he just scowled and pointed off in the direction that must have been west. "Let's stop there."

"Where?"

"You don't see that?"

Frowning, I half-sang, "Noooo...?"

"Oh. It's a warehouse."

"Okay. Sounds really great."

He chuckled in what I perceived to be disbelief. "No, not really."

I smiled up at him and we continued to walk, just messing around. It was weird, seeing him so relaxed and almost... playful. Weird, but nice. It was a side I liked a lot better than the angry sad one I saw more often.

Eventually, I could make out a massive building. It was painted a dark color, which was why it'd been so hard to see. "Hey, is that a werewolf thing?"

"Is what?" Suddenly, Derek was guarded again. He seemed cautious, and I knew that this wasn't a conversation he wanted to have.

"You could see the building when we were so far back. So you've got, what, the Superman gene?"

He lifted his eyebrows at me. "The what?"

My jaw dropped. "You've-you've-" I spluttered intelligently for a few more seconds before spitting out, "You've _never_ heard of Superman? Like the cartoon? Or movies? Or comic?"

"No, I have," He smirked at me, and I flushed, embarrassed that I'd gotten all worked up. "I just don't get the connection."

I looked down at the ground and tried to think of a way to explain. "Well, you're freakishly strong. And you've got enhanced senses. But you don't fly."

"And I Change into a wolf," He commented dryly.

I squinted up at him. "Yeah. So, about that... You never answered me earlier."

Clearly he was planning on me forgetting about that. For a moment, I was worried Derek wouldn't answer me. Then he confessed, "No. That's not why I Changed."

"Then why?"

I thought I heard him take a breath, and I took one in too. We were making progress, which was good, because I was genuinely dying to know so much stuff about his powers. They were so much more amazing than mine. "C'mon," He said, pushing open the door. "Let's get settled first."

"Terrible cliffhanger there."

He flashed me a quick smile. "Doesn't that make the discovery more worth it?" But the fact that he smiled and the way he said it was only covering something up. That wasn't what Derek was like - honestly, that was more of a Simon response.

So what was he feeling?

When I passed through the doorway, I caught a glimpse of the look in his eyes. He was nervous. Still worried he'd scare me off.

He led me through a couple of rooms. I tried to make a few suggestions, but he only shushed me, and I huffed but didn't protest. He was probably just doing basic surveillance. Of course, he was taking way longer than necessary and we both knew it. "You can't avoid answering me forever," I finally hissed.

He nodded and led me into one of the first rooms we entered. _Typical._ "I just thought..." He shook his head, looking a bit uncertain. "Must be nothing." He cleared his throat. "So what did you want to know?"

"Why'd you... Change?"

He shot me a sideways glance, like he was still determining the best way to tell me without sending me into culture shock. "Usually, I Change at least once a week. Sometimes more if I just feel like running around."

"As a wolf?"

"As a wolf," He replied flatly. "But if I don't Change within... maybe two weeks, I get sick. And pretty soon, it just happens." He grimaced. "First it's a killer fever. Then I get muscle spasms, and then it's only a matter of hours before I'm a wolf."

I felt almost stupid for not getting it sooner. "Idiot!" I exclaimed, both at myself and him. "You should have told me," I breathed. "Derek, you have no idea how worried I was."

He sized me up, like he wasn't sure if I meant it or not. But I did, and he must have determined this on his own because he grunted decisively. "I didn't want you to have to see it. A forced Change is always way worse than the ones I start up on my own."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I was worried you'd find out."

I bit back the urge to shout that it wasn't all about me when I decided it was kind of sweet that _Derek _thought it was. "You know I don't care, right?"

Slowly, he nodded. "I guess."

"Don't do it again, okay?"

Confusion flitted over his pronounced features. "Do what?"

Feeling almost self-obsessed, I ducked my head. "Don't not Change because of me. It was hard, seeing you sick like that. You seemed to handle yourself pretty well as a wolf."

He shrugged. "I'm faster as a wolf, and my senses are better. Plus I have teeth and claws. But as a human I can communicate easier. And it's easier to fight my... animal instincts."

"Whoa, you actually have those?" I tried to hide how impressed I was, but I must not have done a very good job because Derek looked vaguely amused.

"Yeah. They're a pain sometimes," He admitted. "It's weird because I just lose contr-"

His head jerked up, eyes wide. He looked... terrified. His head swivelled around, and he whispered, "No."

"Derek?" I put a hand on his arm. "Derek, are you okay?"

He stood up quickly before reaching a hand out and hoisting me up as well. I was literally jerked off my feet, but he put his hands near my waist and tugged me out of the air. "Derek?" I prompted.

"No, no. Why are they here?" He cussed loudly and profanely. I swear I'd never heard such creative profanities.

"Why are who here?" I was struggling to stay calm. Anything that could freak Derek out this bad was a good reason to be concerned.

He looked at me and the fear in his eyes grew. "Dammit, you need to get out!"

"Derek, _what is going on?_ Who?" My voice shook as I murmured, "Other werewolves?"

He put his head in his hands. "No. Vampires."

**(A/N) Okay, just to clarify - I don't read any of Kelley's adult novels. So I have very limited information about her world's creatures except for what we learn in DP. Any reviews that I get telling me that I'm doing my wolves or my vamps right will be ignored because I've warned you about my hopeless cluelessness ;P**


	26. The Terrifying

**(A/N) So, I hope I do this chapter justice :) I'm sorry about the long wait, life just got in the way of my time for writing, unfortunately.**

"V-V-Vampires?"

I, daughter of a vice-presidential candidate, was a necromancer. Derek, the guy I had a crush on, was a werewolf. Simon, Derek's brother, was a sorcerer. Tori, my rival, was a witch.

So why was I so shocked? If other things straight out of cartoons were real, why not vampires?

I sneaked a quick glance at Derek. That was when I started to get really freaked out.

Derek always thought he was a monster. So for him to be terrified was incredibly worrisome. Something worse than the person he perceived himself to be? Crazy. Derek didn't judge people often, I was noticing, and if he had reason to be frightened then so did I.

My body started to tremble. My hands quivered badly that Derek reached out and grabbed one before hoisting me to my feet. He stood directly behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. His thumbs rubbed along my shoulder blades, applying pressure to help relax my muscles. It didn't work at all. "Summon Liz," He barked, tone contradicting his slowly moving hands.

His words didn't register. "Wh-what?"

"Summon Liz!" His voice was powerful, and in my terrified state even he frightened me. But that was stupid because this was Derek, the only person who would do everything in the world to keep me safe.

I shook my head against his chest. "I-I d-d-don't know h-h-how."

He sucked in a breath. He let out a long stream of curses. "Just try, Chloe," He pleaded.

That was when I snapped out of my stupor. Derek was freaked out. But was he handling it like a five-year old? No. He was being logical, doing everything he could to figure out how to solve the problem. He asked me to do something and I would do it.

Or quite possibly die trying.

"H-hey Li-Li-Liz?" I coughed to clear my throat and forced myself to sound steadier. If I could barely hear myself, she probably wouldn't be able to, either. "Liz? You out there?" I called, a bit stronger.

There was no response. There should've been something, right? A wave of power, or the sense that she was coming. I squeezed my eyelids tight and tried reaching out with my mind, sending tendrils of thought out, beckoning to Liz and hoping some other ghost wouldn't show up in her place.

"How cute!" A voice rang out, nearing the door. "We've got ourselves a necro, Kait!" Another person laughed. I jerked back into Derek's chest, and almost frantically, he started whispering in my ear.

His breath tickled and I repressed the urge to start hysterically giggling. "C'mon, Chloe, just keep trying, don't let her distract you."

Urgently, I screamed, "LIZ!"

I figured it didn't matter anymore, after all, the vampires knew where we were. There was no hiding from them, and if shouting would help my poltergeist find me, so help me God, I _would_ shout.

"Well, well, well," She sneered, finally in the same room as us. Her bright amber eyes seemed to be sucking in all light, making the orbs glisten in an eerie way. I dared a glance back at Derek whose own eyes were glowing, the complete opposite of the vampire. "Looks like you were right, Kait."

The other girl, Kait, stepped into the door. Her eyes weren't the same color, they were a strange cross between blue and green, but they did the weird absorption thing as well. She smiled at me viciously. "Told you, Charlotte." She whispered, her voice low and raspy. "Told you I could feel a wolf."

There was something about their presence in the room that made my skin crawl. I remembered Derek telling me he made people feel uneasy, and I wondered if maybe vampires were the same way, triggering a natural human response. The aura in the room was considerably darker, rolling off the females in waves.

Charlotte was definitely the prettier of the two. She was, in fact, one of the most stunning people I'd ever seen in my life. Her skin was tan and dark black curls tumbled past her shoulders. She looked wild, and judging by her expression, she knew it and she liked that people knew.

She looked about thirteen.

Kait was the kind of person you skipped over in a crowd. Dull, mousy brown hair and creamy skin with a rosy undertone. Her skin was dotted with freckles, and the teeth that were flashing were crooked.

But the fangs…

Derek's grip tightened on me. He drew me even closer so I pressed against him, not uncomfortably. "Yes," He said smoothly, betraying none of the worry and fear from before. "You felt a wolf."

"Such a shame a pretty girl like you is involved with something like _him_," Charlotte murmured, shaking her head. "Normally we'd make it quick and painless, but you keep such bad company." She giggled then, and if it weren't for those vicious incisors, she would've sounded just like a normal girl her age.

My breath came in ragged gasps and I prayed that they couldn't hear me. Derek snarled something that sounded like, "You will not touch her," but I couldn't have been sure.

Kait laughed meanly. She met my gaze and licked her lips tauntingly. "Someone's not too good at sharing." Her tone lost all lilting qualities as she sobered and said coldly, "We'll do whatever we like."

Loud words came from over my head and I grimaced. "Awww," Charlotte cooed, "looks like you're scaring her, Wolfie. Such a cute little thing. What was her name? Chloe?"

I turned my face into Derek's chest, holding back a sob. This could not be happening. I was going to be _eaten_ by a bunch of psychotic parasites. "Chloe, face them," He whispered, hand touching my hair. "Don't let them know you're scared."

_A little late now._

Drawing in a breath, I steeled myself and rotated. Something had changed. Charlotte and Kait were both eyeing me hungrily, staring at my throat. "I've never tried a necromancer."

"And you never will," Derek snapped. He sounded a little more calm now, but I knew it was just to help me. The tension in his hands gave way to his concern.

She smiled at him, almost pitying. "You wolves." She wiggled a finger at him playfully. "Always so protective. It always comes back to haunt you when you actually bother caring. We can put you out of your misery too, if you like." Somehow, the words coming out of a small girl's mouth was extremely terrifying, and I resisted the urge to squeeze my eyes shut.

"I'd like to see you try," He rumbled back, and I could imagine his lip curling at her.

Charlotte danced forward, coming to stop only two feet away. Her fangs flashed at me as she grinned. "Come here."

Her eyes began to swirl. In her eyes I could see my reflection, and I let myself get lost in the hypnotic twists of her irises. They were so beautiful. How could I disobey something so pretty? Suddenly it wasn't just the light getting sucked in, I couldn't stay away. I stepped forward, trying to break out of the iron bars in my way. Furiously, I clawed blindly at them.

I had to get to her. She told me to come and I would.

"Stop!" Derek commanded, breaking me out of my trance. Glancing down, I saw tiny red weals from where I'd hurt him. "Don't look at them, don't let them in your head."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and glanced at him. "Don't pull that. You may be stronger physically, but mentally? Don't even _try_." Her voice hitched slightly as she spoke, and she seemed distracted.

There was a renewed hunger in both her and Kait. I followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at the blood leaking out of Derek's arm. Derek swore loudly, and I could feel him shifting, looking for routes of possible escape.

She fixed that stare on me again and I started moving before I even knew it. I had to get to her, stupid, stupid boy wouldn't let me pass. Screaming, I lashed out a fist at him. I had to get to Charlotte!

"Chloe," He muttered. "Chloe," He repeated, sounding even more urgent then before. "Chloe! You need to stop."

I stopped, blinking in confusion. I was so close to Charlotte, only a foot away. So close to those inviting eyes. "Why don't you just go wolf?" Charlotte suggested innocently, looking at Derek.

He scowled. "You know that doesn't work on me."

She shrugged. "Worth a shot."

Then she started toward me, inching forward. She was moving slowly, eyes on Derek, taunting him. "S-Stop!" I told her.

For a moment, she froze, scowling at me. The expression melted away quickly. "Don't waste your time."

Then she grabbed me and all hell broke loose.

Derek growled and lashed out quickly, fist colliding with her jaw. Charlotte howled and hissed something about not hitting girls while both Kait and Charlotte swarmed Derek.

He handled them well. In fact, neither of them could seem to land a single blow on him. What was it Charlotte had said? That vampires were stronger mentally but werewolves could best them physically?

That would explain the freaky mind control. So why hadn't Derek attacked them sooner?

I figured it out pretty quickly. There were two of them, and they were obviously skilled fighters, enough that they could avoid getting hit hard enough to stay down. And every chance one of them got, they'd inch toward me until Derek snarled and fended them back. It was like a never ending circle, and if Derek started the cycle it was more likely that Charlotte or Kait would have gotten to me.

I could do _something._ Closing my eyes, I focused all my energy on Liz's ghostly forms. I pictured those wide blue eyes and long blond hair. Brow furrowing, I imagined giving a little tug and whispered, "Come," Voice eerily quiet.

There was a slight screech, and when my eyelids jerked open I was pinned to the ground. Charlotte was crouched over me. "Gotcha," She whispered, and I swear her eyes looked tinted red, if only just a tiny bit.

I moved my head, trying to find Derek. He was cursing, shaking his arm viciously while Kait kept his back to me. I opened my mouth to shout for him to help, but Charlotte's hand clapped over my mouth. She was very strong for someone so tiny, and I knew that there must have been at least a little bit of supernatural strength in her supple muscles. "Shhh," She whispered, fingers trailing over my lips and down my neck.

Her skin wasn't icy cold, but rather burning hot. Her lips parted and a bright pink tongue flicked out and she moaned just a little bit. Derek started to turn back to me when Kait lashed out at him, forcing him to return to the fight.

"There," She breathed, fingers hovering over my hammering pulse. Her eyes closed, savoring the thrum of my heartbeat. "It's so… alive. _You're_ so alive."

She looked almost jealous of me, and for a moment I saw the vulnerable girl she should have been. I saw a girl whose life had been snatched away, I saw a girl reborn into some dream-like world no one would ever want to be a part of.

I saw a girl like _me_.

Then her wall of savagery was back in place and Charlotte smiled cruelly before ducking her head. She didn't go for the center of my throat, surprisingly enough. She pushed a bit of hair away from my face and then she bit me, right near where my ear connected to my neck.

I couldn't hold back a scream. Looking back, I would have never been able to describe the feeling of being violated. The sensation, though, was easier to fit in simple words.

It was almost like getting bitten by a dog and getting a shot at the same time. Her fangs weren't tapered to thin points, but they weren't as thick as Derek's and they _hurt._ If I managed to get away from this, I'd probably be scarred forever, though that was probably the least of my fears. I could feel liquid shooting into my body, numbing the spot of injection and burning colder than liquid nitrogen throughout the rest of my slight frame.

"Chloe!" Derek roared. There was a loud cracking sound. There was a strange howl/shriek that was distinctly feminine. "Get off her," He snarled in Charlotte's ear, and I heard another crack.

I was whimpering like a pathetic little kid, but I couldn't stop. My body was so incredibly cold, unlike Charlotte's fingers from before. Finally, the biting stopped as Charlotte was pulled off me.

But I was still frigid.

"Chloe, Chloe, are you okay?"

It took me awhile before I could even move my head because my nerves were so frazzled. Finally, I bobbed my head in a very awkward motion, sending throbs of pain throughout my skull. I lifted my eyes, and everything seemed incredibly bright.

Charlotte was staring at Kait who was bunched in the corner, eyes glazed. If Charlotte had ever felt something human since she was turned, I assume it would have been then as she stared at her broken friend on the ground. Her lip, covered in my blood, trembled slightly, like she was trying terribly not to cry.

She turned a menacing glare on Derek and said, voice so incredibly soft, "We're so different. You have your speed and strength and enhanced senses." She laughed daintily. "I suppose we have a bit of those abilities as well. Unfortunately, you have no ounce of mind control.

But we are also so very alike, which may be why we're meant to hate one another." Her voice turned distinctly pleased in the most sadistic way possible. The corners of her mouth turned upward, and she just laughed and laughed. "We're predators, you see. But you know why I'm laughing don't you?"

Charlotte giggled, once more, and I wondered dimly if she was crazy. "Because we're turned in the same way. We're either born what we are or we're made what we are.

Through blood or a bite. Sometimes both, and guess what? The venom's already spreading." She shrugged her shoulders. "If you'd just let me finish, you could have saved yourself a world of hurt. Let's see how much you like us when your girlfriend wakes up in a few days and finds she's like me. A vampire."

**(A/N) I did not edit this chapter as I wanted to get it up as quickly as I can, so if there are any typos, please forgive me. **

**Now, I know a lot of you are thinking: IS SHE REALLY GONNA BE A VAMPIRE? If you ask, I'm not answering, sorry to disappoint ;D**


	27. The Hating

**(A/N) Yes, it's been way too long. Truth is, I've been working on some original fiction and that's been taking up a lot of my writing time :/**

"No," Derek said, voice full of held back rage. "No, she'll never be one of _you_."

Charlotte smiled secretively. It was a smile that spoke of years of wisdom beyond her seemingly-measly thirteen years. If she was even thirteen years old. "Oh, but dear boy, she will. Do you feel it?" She asked, turning those golden eyes on me. "The chill?"

I wanted to shout at her that I wouldn't be feeling anything if it weren't for her, but I couldn't speak. I could only whimper pathetically and curse myself for being so weak.

I did feel it. Oh, did I feel it.

"Chloe," Derek said softly in my ear, so different than the way he talked to Charlotte and even Kait. "Chloe… It's okay. There's a spell. We can stop this." He spoke as if trying to soothe himself just as much as me.

Nodding, my teeth began to chatter as the coldness continued to spread, making its way throughout my body slowly. It was so strange, but I could feel the sensation beginning to take over the usually-warm blood flowing through my veins. It was weird, but more than that, it was terrifying. Unnatural.

Not human.

"You'll regret it," Charlotte was saying, but I could barely hear her. "You'll regret killing my darling Kait. My sister and best friend."

If she thought that would illicit any sympathy from Derek, she was sadly mistaken. "You are lucky," Derek spat, voice menacing and low, "that she needs me more than I need to kill you. So lucky."

Charlotte bared her fangs at him, still red with blood. With _my_ blood. "Goodbye, little wolf-boy, and you, little necro. I hope you both suffer greatly."

I could hear the footsteps of her as she left the room, but something wasn't quite right. There wasn't a consistency in her footsteps, her predatory gait seemed hindered by something. "What did you do?" I asked Derek, careful not to make myself sound accusing.

"Broke her leg."

I tried not to flinch and managed to succeed, instead I only asked him, "Why?"

He shook his head as he turned me slowly so I could face him. "I didn't want to. But she was on you, and she was _biting _you, and… I had to do something."

Derek wasn't looking at me, and it took me awhile to realize that it was because he was ashamed. I reached out a hand and touched his cheek, but he quickly pulled away with a wince. Swallowing hard, I clenched my fist and told myself not to be too offended. My hands were probably just cold…

From vampire venom. Just when despair was about to overtake me, I glanced at Derek again and reminded myself that he was the one in need of a pep talk, not me. "It's okay. She would have killed me."

He only nodded. His lips parted, eyes blazing when he finally did look at me—

"Chloe!" A voice rang out in the silence, and Derek was saying something but I shushed him. "Chloe, is something wrong? Sorry, I was in the middle of visiting my Nana, and lemme tell you what, she hasn't changed a… Chloe?"

Sadly, I murmured, "Hey, Liz."

Her sapphire eyes were wide as she took in the surroundings. "Why is there so much blood? And what is on your neck?" She took a swift step in my direction, squinting to sharpen her gaze. "Is that… Oh no," She whispered, voice so quiet I could barely hear her. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Liz."

She dashed a hand up to her eyes, wiping away the tears. "I didn't even know I could cry."

"Liz, it's okay, please, don't feel bad."

Liz glowered at me, which would have been more impressive if her eyes hadn't seemed to be glittering, though that might have been the lighting or even my imagination. "No, it's not! I didn't get here when you called me because I was just being selfish and now you're going to turn into a vampire! Oh yeah, and of course, it's all my fault. How is _any_ of that _okay_?"

"Go get Simon," Derek directed, glancing about two feet away from where Liz was really standing. He didn't hear any of her speech, and I was glad he interrupted me because I wasn't quite sure what I could say to reassure her. "I don't know where he is, but we need him here ASAP. We have to find Andrew, Tori's got a lot of magic but she doesn't know how to use it to help out Chloe. I'm not even sure if Andrew knows."

I jerked back in surprise. "What do you mean he might not know? And shouldn't I be passed out right now or something?"

He shook his head. "The venom doesn't work that way. You have a good three days or so to purge it from your system, and if you don't when you die you'll rise again. As a vampire. Usually, when someone wants to turn you, they'll bite you and wait for the poison to take over the body, then they'll kill the human off. You're a special case."

I was sure _that's_ what he thought I was. I was about to say something when he glanced at me, and for once, I wasn't having trouble reading a lack of emotions, but rather an overflow of them. So many things were swimming in his green eyes I had no idea where one feeling started and another ended. I was about to ask him if he was alright when he shook his head and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go look for Simon outside. Wait for him, I mean. No. Never mind. I will look. For him. Liz, you stay with Chloe, I can smell Simon. Later."

Astonished, I watched him as he walked out the door. He didn't even glance behind him, he just left me with Liz. His normally confident walk was almost defeated, and he opened the door with much more force than necessary.

And why was he talking like that? Like he couldn't find the words he needed, like he couldn't be bothered to find the words he needed. He just didn't care.

He didn't care about me.

"I'm so, so, so—"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand, much more impatiently. "Liz, it's okay. We'll get Andrew and he'll-he'll f-fix me." Toward the end, my voice dropped and became shaky as I tried to hold back tears. Sucking in a breath, I closed my eyes and started to count to ten.

When I opened my eyes, Liz was watching quietly. "You really don't want to be a vampire, do you?"

Back at school, everyone loved vampires and the like. Everyone thought it would be so cool if they were real, and if they could be one. They would be beautiful and powerful and magical, terrifyingly so. Everyone breathed about how awesome it would be.

I'd never believed them and I never bought into that stuff, and I was loathing to concept even more now.

"Would you want to be one?"

Liz pondered that for a moment. She tapped her finger on her chin and finally, she whispered, "I'm already like them, in a way. Alive, but not really alive. At least if I was a vampire, I'd have a corporeal form. Is that really wrong?"

"No, Liz, of course it isn't." I wished I could reach out a squeeze her hand, certain that she wouldn't be half as repulsed as Derek. The thought of him grimacing brought on a whole new wave of sadness and unwanted self-pity. "I just… He'd hate me," I blurted out, not sure why I did. "God, I think he already does."

Liz stared at me for a long time, then finally she burst out, "That's not true. That's not true at all."

"Then why," I asked tiredly, "did he just leave when I needed him? He said it himself, but it's like he didn't even care. He's disgusted with me."

Liz shrugged her shoulders. "Chloe, I was always what my friends would call 'Their Own Personal Boy Analyzer.' So you could say I'm something of an expert on all things related to testosterone." She crinkled her nose. "Well, _almost_ everything. In any case, he didn't leave because he hates you, he left because he's scared for you. And of you."

I couldn't help it. I laughed. It wasn't an obnoxious laugh, but it was powerful enough to make me snort just a tiny bit. "I'm like, five foot one. Derek's at least a foot taller than that. Plus a little."

"Well, I didn't mean in that way. He's scared," She told me in a 'duh' tone, "of the way you make him feel."

"Ho-how I? How I? How I?" I cleared my throat, feeling everything from my chest to my hair burn scarlet. "How I _what_?"

She giggled. "How you make him feel! He likes you," She determined, nodding her head before saying, "Yeah, he definitely likes you."

"He-he… no he doesn't! Most of the times he argues with me over everything! He doesn't like me."

_Please, please, please argue. Please._

Liz sighed. "Oh, Chloe. Of course he does. And you like him, too, so I don't see why you're trying to avoid the fact."

"I'm not trying to avoid it, I think I'm in shock."

Liz smiled at me a little weirdly. "So after a vampire attacks you and bites you, getting told that the guy you're crushing on likes you back makes you turn that color?"

And I'd thought the red was fading. "I-I guess."

"You guys are cute," She murmured. "I never had a relationship like that. Guess I never will now."

This time, I couldn't help it. I scooted closer to Liz and placed a hand over hers and held it there. I patted the empty air awkwardly. "I wish you could have found that. You're such a beautiful girl, Liz, inside and out. And who knows? Maybe you will be able to meet some guy in the afterlife and have your own type of happily ever after. So what if it's not conventional? It just makes everything more unique, just like you."

Her eyes widened hopefully until she looked like a kid on Christmas morning. "You really are sweet, Chloe." She blinked and said, "I think Derek's coming back with everyone else. I'd better go, but I promise next time I'll come faster."

I nodded, and just before she started to fade out of existence, she winked at me. "By the way, good luck with a certain You-Know-Who!"

**(A/N) This felt a little bit weird to write, so I'm sorry if everything seems a little bit off.**


	28. The Surprising

**I am so sorry. I really am. Life has been so crazy for me, so in honor of my last day of school, I'm updating! Warning: I will NOT be updating again until two weeks from now, I'm on vacation. Which I need. Kind of short, but I think the content more than makes up for it ;)**

"Chloe!" Someone was calling. I glanced up at Simon. He rushed at me with a hand stretched out. He slid onto the ground beside me and touched my neck gently, near the sight of the fang marks. He swore loudly. "That's nasty."

I glanced at the ground before muttering, "So I've gathered."

He wiped the blood off my neck gingerly. Derek reminded Simon to be careful, to which Simon didn't even bother replying. "Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?" Simon's amber eyes were wide as they stayed latched onto my throat.

"I-I don't know. I haven't moved, but she was- was drinking from me. So I lost blood, so I think… I think I'm not well." I wasn't making much sense, and I knew it. Luckily for me, Simon seemed to understand what I was saying.

He nodded briskly and shouted for Tori. She was taking her sweet time getting here. She seemed to be checking out the area, scanning for blood stains and stuff. When she saw me, she whispered, "Oh no."

I wasn't in the mood to have people talking about the evident tragedy that was my life. I couldn't help but glower at her. "I know, okay?" I snapped.

Her eyes were even broader than Simon's. I braced myself for her freak-out. "Your… your _hair!_"

Needless to say, this was not what any of us were expecting.

Derek was looking at her like she was incredibly stupid. "What about it?"

She whirled on him. "What about it? It's covered in blood and we don't even have shampoo to get it out! We need a hotel tonight. No questions asked."

"So she can wash her hair?"

Tori nodded firmly. "Oh, and don't talk to me like I'm stupid. I'm sure Chloe could use a shower, if only to wash the vampire stench off her so you can stand near her without wanting to puke. Like right now."

Derek was looking a little green. His lip was curled, and while Simon couldn't stop staring at the wounds, he was doing everything he could to avoid seeing them. "Well, okay then."

"Good," Tori replied. "I'll go keep watch outside, blast any vampires that come running. If they're brave enough." She strutted out the door, only turning back to look at me with an expression that was actually… kind? Sympathetic? Understanding?

I frowned. Could it be that Tori knew I just needed rest and wouldn't say anything? Was she actually being nice to me for a change? Before I had time to think about it all, I was brought out of my reverie by Simon saying, "We need Dad. Or Andrew, or _someone_ who knows the purging spell."

"P-purging spell?"

Derek nodded. "We get the poison out through magic. It was important that we find Andrew before, but now…" He didn't finish the statement. He bit off the words like it was almost too painful for him to speak it out loud and let the truth hang in the open. "Simon," He said, changing the subject, "do you think you can try that tracking spell? Or a messaging spell, or something?"

He raked a hand through his hair, looking agitated. When Simon took longer than two seconds to respond, Derek burst out, "Well, can you?"

"Yes." Simon shrugged. "But I'll need quiet. I'm gonna go walk around in here, see if I can find some place where I can be alone." He ambled off, leaving Derek with me.

I was waiting for Derek to follow his brother, or to even go find Tori. After all, anything would be better than getting stuck with stupid Chloe. Stupid, half-vampire Chloe.

Stupid, disgusting Chloe.

He treated me like I was totally revolting. I guess I was. I was turning into someone who was his worst enemy, and there was a chance that I wouldn't be able to stop it. Simon and Derek were trying to avoid saying it, but we all knew the truth: I might not make it out of this in the way that we all wanted.

It was one of the scariest thoughts of my life. For such a long time, I was a freak. The psychotic schizophrenic girl. And just when I'd started to get a handle on dealing with my necromancy, things got even worse. I was becoming a _vampire_, an undead creature that probably didn't even have a soul.

Would I lose myself? If I didn't make it, would I even be me?

"What's wrong?" Derek interrogated. "Are you okay? Feeling sick? Aching? Can I do anything?"

I shook my head, slightly mystified when I saw little crystals flying around me. Then I realized they were my tears. "Nothing's wrong," I breathed, trying to keep my voice from breaking. It didn't work.

"Something's wrong," It was a steady, clear statement. One of Derek's declared facts that said if you tried to argue, he could easily think of a hundred ways to counter any of your inferior logic.

I didn't argue. But I didn't offer any information about why I was so upset. He didn't deserve to know. Or maybe he did and I was just too worried about what he would say to really care otherwise. He wasn't the most sensitive guy out there, especially when it came to other people's feelings.

"Chloe…"

"I'm scared," I finally told him. I closed my eyes and pressed my hands against my face to try and hide the salty liquid that wouldn't stop rolling down my face. "Derek, I have never been more scared in my life."

He placed a hand on my arm. He tugged gently, trying to get me to uncover my face. I resisted as a sob tore free from my throat. Interestingly enough, my cut didn't throb anymore. I was pretty sure it closed, probably because of the vampire poison, but I didn't care to check.

"Come one, Chloe. Stop that."

"I can't h-h-help it!" I removed my hand and peered at him angrily. "If I'm not saved, you'll _hate_ me. You'll hate me as much as you hate Charlotte! And I don't… I d-d-don't know how to st-stop it."

I was nearing hysterics, and I knew that if there was any chance of Derek not hating me, it was probably gone now that I couldn't stop my crying. "Chloe." There he was, doing that impossible stating-the-truth thing again. Somehow, when he said my name in that voice, it was kind of sexy.

And that only made me cry even harder because I would never be able to blush about something like that again because it just wouldn't work. He was already acting like he hated me, placing me at a distance… It was so awful. Absolutely awful.

I closed my eyes, desperately trying to stop the tears. My lip was quivering violently, and I clenched my jaw hard. My nose was running. I knew I looked like crap, which was probably appropriate because I felt like crap.

Something started to squeeze me and I couldn't help but flinch away. Then, I heard Derek's rumbling voice, pleasantly close to me. Right above me. "If you're going to cry," Which I still was, unfortunately, "you need to at least let me hold you." He sounded like he was trying to sound joking, but instead just sounded kind of nervous. It was adorable.

I craned my head up to look at him. His eyes were surprisingly soft as opposed to his usually harsh stare. Tears were flooding my eyes, my chest was heaving with hiccups, but as I wrapped my arms around him and stared at him, I was never happier.

Almost like he was in a trace, he brought his hand up to my face. His fingertips traced my cheek, sending a thousand jolts throughout my body. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and knowing that I could cause such a reaction in him was exhilarating. In a husky tone, he added, "And let me wipe your tears."

"It makes crying worth it," I murmured.

He looked shocked for a moment, and I was too. I wasn't bold. I didn't flirt. Certainly not with guys like Derek.

But no amount of flirting could surprise either of us as much as how _good_ it felt when he pressed his lips to mine. My eyes flew open, then closed in something that I could only describe as sheer bliss. His lips were warm and soft, if slightly chapped. I leaned into him, aiming for as much physical contact as possible. He seemed to like that and helped me out, pressing us together even more.

It was hard for me to reach him because I was so much shorter, and he seemed to get that so he literally swept me off my feet, crushing me to him. I was hovering over the ground, and I pulled away. He started to put me down so I quickly kissed him again. I lifted my arms, running my hands through his long, dark hair.

At first, it was kind of awkward. I had never been kissed, and I'm pretty sure Derek hadn't been either, but it was perfect in its imperfections. It was pure and innocent, but still charged in its own way. Neither of us really knew what to do, but it wasn't very long before we both caught on.

My lips parted slightly and I sighed. Our mouths moved in perfect unison, and everything just felt miraculously right. He kept me suspended like I weighed nothing, which to him, I probably did. After a few moments, he pulled away and set me down, looking kind of confused by happy. A lot happier than I'd ever seen.

"What? What was that?" I finally managed to ask through a huge, silly grin.

He shrugged. "I… don't know."

"Wait, a second? You don't know? That's a first," I teased him, bumping my shoulder against him.

Derek half-smiled at me, sufficiently filling me with a thousand butterflies. "Enjoy it while you can."

"So what does this mean?" I asked. I tried to sound too full of hope and failed miserably.

This time, he didn't smile. He only looked away and said, "I'm not sure. I think we'll need to think about what we want."

I stared at him. That wasn't the right thing to say. It wasn't even close to being the right thing to say. I didn't tell him, "But I already know what I want." Instead, I nodded. "Yeah. That's probably a good idea."

He looked relieved, which hurt a lot. "Glad we're on the same page."

An awkward silence occurred until finally, he said, "And Chloe? I could _never_ hate you."

There was something about the way he said it that managed to fill me with hope again. So we needed to think about what was going on. Thinking was good. Thinking would always be good as long as it was about Derek.

I beamed at him. He returned the smile quickly, and I hugged him close.

That was when I figured out that even if Derek and I didn't work out romantically, we would always be best friends. Always.

**(A/N) At the bottom of my profile, I have just placed a link to freerice(dot)com. It's a website that's up to help combat world hunger. It's completely ****free** **us to use****.**** I'm sure that so many people throughout the world would appreciate it if you could just go on for ten minutes a day – Just think of how many people we could help if we all pitched in! All you have to do is answer some really simple questions and within ten to fifteen minutes, you could probably easily donate over 500 grains of rice. For those of you who agree, feel free to copy and paste this onto your profile/stories along with a link :) Thank you for reading this.**


	29. The Helping

**(A/N) Back from vacation, obviously! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

We were in the hotel lobby. By we, I mean Derek, Tori, and me. Simon was outside, trying to cast the spell. He said it would be best for him to go someplace isolated so if Andrew wanted to teleport to us, he could without raising eyebrows.

Derek left to check in to the hotel. He had a fake ID, and he actually looked over eighteen so no one gave us any weird looks as we waited. People just assumed we were Derek's false age of twenty and that Tori and I just looked young.

Tori was being surprisingly nice to me. Sure, she would say mean things to me, but I was quickly learning that it wasn't really personal anymore. She'd gotten over her original animosity toward me and she even seemed to _like_ me a little bit. It was a pleasant change.

We were joking around, and when Derek came back to us he looked at Tori suspiciously. Then he glanced at me and my cheeks got hot.

None too surprisingly, there was a slight awkwardness between Derek and me. Every now and then, he'd look at me and my insides would turn to mush. When I returned his look, he quickly looked away while his cheeks flushed, too. It was massively frustrating and I wished I knew if this was normal.

Were we an item? Caught in between friends and something more? Or, oh God, did we fall in the category "friends with benefits?" Not _too_ many benefits of course, but… I stared at the ground and counted fuzz balls on the carpet to distract myself from that train of thought.

Tori didn't seem to notice anything was up, and if she did, she overlooked it. The second we showed up at the hotel, she coaxed me into the shower. "Come on, Chloe," She muttered, "if I have to look at that mess that is your physical appearance for another two seconds, I might gouge my eyes out."

Rolling my eyes at her theatrics, I headed for the surprisingly nice bathroom. Miniature shampoo, conditioner and lotion bottles littered the surface of the dresser. Derek must have splurged a bit on this nice hotel, something that made me feel momentarily guilty.

I grabbed a bar of soap and some hair stuff and walked into the shower. I stripped my clothes off and piled them on the floor outside. My blond hair was limp, the red streaks dull. I sighed as the hot water poured down my back, soaking me within seconds.

My clothes were disgusting, I noticed as I stared at them through the glass door. I grabbed the fabric and pulled them into the shower with me. I took turns alternating between giving myself and my clothes multiple washes until both looked and smelled clean.

It wasn't until I got out of the shower that I realized I had nothing to wear. Groaning, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself, trying to convince my mind that it wasn't _that_ different from wearing a strapless dress. I hung my clothes up, hoping they would dry faster.

"Crap. I'm so stupid," I muttered as I walked out of the bathroom, trying to ignore the weird stares Tori and Derek were giving me.

Tori was the first to say something. "Why are you wandering around in a towel?"

"I-I wasn't thinking, so I washed my clothes. They're soaked and I don't want to get sick by putting them on."

Tori snickered but didn't say anything more, much to my shock. Derek was just staring at me, looking amused and… something else that couldn't have been interest because I had so few curves, you'd need a magnifying glass to spot them. But he certainly _looked_ interested even though that didn't make any sense at all.

Holding my towel up, I walked over and sat next to Tori. "Aren't you gonna take a shower?" I asked her.

She laughed. "I don't trust him to be near you when you're in a towel."

My whole body flushed and I really wished I had something to cover myself with because so much of my skin was exposed. Maybe Tori noticed more than I thought. I didn't even want to look at Derek. "Well, I'm going to speed the drying process," I muttered, reaching for the hair dryer the room provided.

I retreated into the bathroom again, and with shaking hands, flipped the dryer on to as hot as it would go. Half an hour later, my clothes were all dry enough to be worn.

I stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed, and saw Simon back inside. He was talking animatedly. "—said he was in the area and he'd be here in just fifteen more minutes!"

"Who?" I asked.

Simon beamed at me. "So you're done drying your clothes, I see. And may I say you look much better when you're not covered in dirt or blood." He winked teasingly and I laughed. "Anyway, Andrew will be here in fifteen minutes. We've got time for one more shower."

Derek stood and immediately headed for the bathroom. He pushed the door open and locket it. Biting my lip, I turned to Simon. "Does he know about my situation?"

Simon nodded. "He said he thinks he can purge the poison from your body."

Relief seeped into me. I let out a deep breath and felt a grin spreading over my face. Running, I launched myself and Simon. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! If you hadn't found him, I-I…" I was choking up again, but I ignored the feeling and focused instead on the joy coursing through me.

_I'm gonna be okay, _I told myself. _I will really and truly be okay._

Simon, Tori and I just talked. It was startlingly different, getting the chance to talk about normal things. They got me on the subject of movies and I could feel myself brightening. "Well, I would have to say that I think my favorite director is—"

The door opened and Derek walked out. "How much longer until Andrew's going to show up?"

Simon glanced at the clock just as a knock on our door sounded. I leaped up before even Derek got the chance to move. I sped for the door, throwing it open with enthusiasm. A man with a crew cut was smiling at me, if a bit grimly. "You must be Chloe," He said, sticking a hand out.

I smiled back at him and grabbed his hand. I shook it firmly, the way my dad taught me to. His smile turned more genuine and he nodded in what looked like approval. "I am. You must be Andrew." Opening the door wider, I motioned him inside.

"I greatly appreciate you coming here for me," I told him formally. I bowed my head slightly. "I know it must have been out of your way, so I'm very happy you took the time out of your day to help me out."

He laughed. "You can be more personal if you want."

I blinked before nodding. "So what will the spell be like?"

He didn't answer at first. Instead, he looked at Simon and held his arms out. "Simon! It's been so long," He said as they embraced in that weird way guys did. Andrew turned to Derek and awkwardly patted his shoulder.

Derek was much taller, at least three inches. He eyed Andrew warily, like he was bracing himself for something. Andrew seemed to be doing the same to him, and I lifted my eyebrows at Derek, silently asking what was going on. He averted his eyes and mumbled hello to Andrew and mouthed, _Tell you later, _to me.

I frowned but wiped the expression off my face as Andrew turned back to me. "To answer you, I can't give the best answer. I've performed the spell twice and neither of the people were able to give the best responses." Gently, he added, "But it will hurt."

Grimacing, I muttered, "Great. Well, can you start?" My voice was slightly brisk. I just wanted this to be done.

He hesitated. "If that's what you really want."

I jerked my head fervently. "It is. I've been so worried that I wouldn't get purged in time, and now that I can, I want it done. I want it over with so I don't have to worry about it or be scared anymore."

Andrew lifted a hand and I braced myself. He walked toward me and carefully placed his hands on the spot on my neck. "The purging comes in two parts," He explained, "We have to get the venom in itself out and we have to get the magic out. The venom is the hardest part, and that's probably more painful."

He smiled apologetically.

I remembered how it felt when Tori healed me. This was a million times worse. It felt like Andrew dumped gasoline in my veins and somehow lit a match inside of me. My entire body was going up in flames. The fire licked at me from the inside out.

I dimly heard someone saying something about, "Burning the venom."

It burned.

It _burned._

It _freaking BURNED._

Tears started to pour down my face but I swear I could feel them evaporating right off my skin because the heat in my body was so intense. My mouth opened and suddenly my ears were bleeding from the sound of a horrible high-pitched scream of anguish.

Then I realized I was the one screaming. But I couldn't stop, just couldn't stop, it _burned_ and it _hurt._ I started to sob and I felt someone take my hand. The hand was large and cool. I gripped it before yelling again as the pain intensified even more.

I should have been burned to death. There was absolutely no way I could possibly survive this horrible scalding. There was no way anyone could survive this horrible scalding.

Water sloshed onto me, followed by a few ice cubes. I relished in the momentary flash of cold. I gasped a little bit, breath coming in quick pants. The fire was finally beginning to subside. I loosened the grip on poor Derek's hand, but he didn't let go.

My body ached. I opened my eyes and saw Simon looking down at me, very concerned. I cleared my throat. It felt scratchy from all the screaming and I wasn't entirely sure if I'd be able to talk.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Andrew murmured. "The hard part is over. I'm already starting to purge the magic. Then you'll be fine."

Fine aside from the lingering heat. "How long till this… this _thing_, this sensation goes away?"

Andrew shrugged. "Maybe a few hours?"

Oh, of course. I'd be stuck with the tingling feeling for a few hours. Just my luck. "Alright."

I glanced down at my hand still twined with Derek. A shy glance up at him made him blush and withdraw his hand that so perfectly fit mine. I flushed, too, and asked Andrew, "Is there anything I can do for you? After what you did…"

"Actually, yes." He coughed, as though preparing himself for a speech. "As you know, I'm trying to counter the Edison Group and shut them down. I was talking with Simon earlier, and he told me that you were all willing to help in this process.

Your skills could be tremendously helpful. Who knows what information you could find from the victims of these cruel experiments?" Earnestly, he finished, "With your gift, Chloe… Will you help me?"

Carefully, I considered what he was asking. I looked at Derek, silently wondering what he thought. He didn't do anything, responding that it was completely my choice. Tilting my chin up, I looked Andrew in the eyes.

"Yes. I'll do what I can now."

**(A/N) Who knows what Chloe will find? We'll see soon ;P**


	30. The Repaying

"Thank you, Chloe." Andrew breathed out, looking relieved. He offered me a sheepish smile. "I was so worried you would say no."

I smiled back at him confidently, though my insides were a mess. My stomach was churning furiously and my heart was thumping hard. I took a breath to steady myself before asking, "What do you want me to do, exactly?"

Andrew held up a finger before digging in a backpack flung over his shoulder. Papers rustled and fluttered out of the pack until finally, his fingers snagged a few things that looked a lot like photographs. He pushed them over to me.

The photo on top was of a handsome blond guy who could have been the poster child for the high school football star. "What's his name?"

"Brady. We think he was a half-demon, but we're not sure."

I didn't bother asking who he was. Probably whatever resistance he was working with, if it could even be called a resistance. I stared at the picture. He was probably only sixteen when it was taken, he was squinting at the lens like he was annoyed.

He was dead. Like most teenagers, I thought I was invincible. After the incident with the vampire, I learned that no matter what, I was every bit as vulnerable as anyone. It didn't matter that I was young, it didn't matter that I had a super-strong werewolf who would do anything to keep me safe. I could be like Brady.

It wasn't a far stretch, putting myself in his place. We were both a part of the same experiment, and judging by the word TERMINATED written across the picture, he didn't do as well as the Edison Group had hoped. What if I didn't meet their standards and that was the real reason they wanted me?

Derek told me the Edison Group wanted me back because they wanted some kind of control over Project Genesis. I was the only one left. But what if they wanted me because I was a failure? My medication had stopped working because I was just too strong. What if I, too, was destined to be terminated?

"You okay?"

I glanced up at Simon, startled. I had forgotten where I was. I didn't try to smile, I just nodded grimly. "How do I do this?"

He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as any of ours."

So I turned my eyes back to the picture of Brady. I focused on him, his annoyed expression. I pictured him dying, the light fading from his eyes until he wasn't Brady anymore. It was just Brady's body, Brady was gone. Brady's spirit was somewhere else, Brady's spirit was—

I felt it. Scowling, I focused on the weird sensation in my gut. It was like something was twisting inside of me. I closed my eyes and imagined Brady before me, ghostly and glowing. I imagined his soul, his essence with me and then I kind of pulled…

"What are you doing?" Someone snapped.

I whirled across the room. Everyone else turned, trying to find what I was looking at. But he was there. There, right in the corned, was Brady. "You-you wh-what? You-you… you came."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yes, I did. Who are you?"

"Chl-Chl-Chloe. My name is Chloe."

He laughed at me then. "St-st-stutter problem?"

I set my jaw. Deliberately, I told him, "You're a bully, and you're a ghost. I'm a n-necromancer. I can send you back to wherever you were."

Brady spread his arms, a look of annoyance crossing his features. "Do what you want, n-necromancer."

He started to fade away. "Stop," I hissed at him. His figure started to fill in again, and he seemed surprised.

Turning to Andrew, I said smugly, "He's not going anywhere."

Andrew nodded vigorously. He looked in Brady's general direction and cleared his throat. "What do you know about the Edison Group?"

Brady glowered at Andrew. "I don't answer to you."

I tried to make myself as menacing as possible when I spat, "You answer to _me._ Tell us what you know."

Tori burst out laughing. "Oh my god. She grew a spine."

"Shut up," Derek snarled. I jumped a bit; he was right next to me. I hadn't noticed he'd moved closer.

I offered him a brief smile before prompting Brady, "What do you know?"

He sighed. Finally, in a tired manner he responded. "I don't know much at all. I didn't even know what was wrong with Lyle House until after I died." His eyes got this almost glazed over look.

I took the time to relay the information. "He said he had no idea what was wrong with Lyle House until after he died."

Andrew nodded and motioned for Brady to continue. Brady snapped out of his fervor and said, "I talked to a bunch of other ghosts. Eventually I managed to figure out that the Edison Group is part of this larger company, something about the St. Clouds? We found out we were part of Project Genesis."

I repeated what Brady told me. Andrew seemed to grow a bit trouble, but eventually he asked me to see if Brady knew anything else.

"Project Genesis was supposed to do two things: enhance certain experiments' powers and take other experiments' powers away. Those who were enhanced were deemed incredibly dangerous, like yourself, Ms. St-st-stutter. I still don't know why I was terminated."

He shrugged his shoulders, aiming at nonchalance. It was too forced, though. "Anyway, Dr. Davidoff is the guy who runs the branch of the Edison Group near us. You should be able to take the group out if you can get him."

Finally, some good news. I smiled as I told Andrew that. He wasn't as pleased as I thought he would have been, but it didn't matter. I found out what I could. He couldn't hope for more.

To Brady, I said gently, "Thank you for your help. You can go back to… whatever you were doing."

He said nothing. But he blinked out without another word from me.

"Child…"

I jerked. A thick, cloying scent was in the air, something sweet. "Child, what do you need to know?"

"Who are you?"

A slight, tinkling laugh answered me. "My name is Diriel. I'm a demi-demon."

Andrew's eyes slid to me. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

"I-I…" My voice shook slightly. Derek's hands went to my shoulders. I closed me eyes and leaned into him before plowing on, "There's a demi-demon."

Andrew's eyes flared. "Chloe, demi-demons are dangerous."

"Go away," I ordered. Diriel said nothing, but the aroma lingered. Something inside me knew she was still there, almost residing within me and it drove me insane. "Go away, leave me alone!"

She laughed again, her voice a soft whisper in my ear. "You don't command me, child. Sweet child."

"I-I said go!"

Her laughter became more pronounced. "I can help you on your quest. They bound me years ago, and it was only recently that I was freed. Demons of any kind are vengeful creatures, and I'm more than willing to help you. Of course, I will need a body."

Icy fingers ran along my spine. I couldn't suppress a shiver. "No. No. I don't need you."

"You do. You will, just see. Call for me, Child, and I will answer."

Her stench lifted. Finally, I could breathe easily again. I took in deep breaths. "You okay?" Derek's voice tickled my ear.

I nodded against him. "I'm alright. She's gone now."

Andrew was drawn into himself. Concerned, I asked, "Did I do it right?"

A look of confusion dawned in his eyes. He blinked and then laughed. "Of course, Chloe. You did excellently, I wasn't expecting such phenomenal results from your first summoning. Would you be willing to try another?"

When I nodded, he passed another photo over to me. The image was of a small boy wearing a bright red coat. He was cute. It was hard to think that he would be dead.

Dead. He was dead.

I called to him. My eyes shut and I imaging a large, magical hand reaching and gently tugging him to me. I pulled the arm closer until finally, I opened my eyes and he shimmered into existence. He blinked at me blearily.

"Hi," I murmured. "What's your name?"

He smiled at me, showing a gap between his two front teeth. "My name is Tod."

"Well, Tod, I have a few questions for you if that's okay?"

He nodded.

I bit down on my lip. Softly, I asked, "How did you die?"

Tod blinked again. Then he seemed to transform. Blood started spurting out of his head and he gasped loudly, clutching at something pink and jelly-like that was poking out of his skull. His brain was falling out.

It was different than in the movies. In the movies, I liked trying to figure out what makeup they used to create the lifelike effects. But this was real. Or at least, it was real at some point.

Tod and I both whimpered.

"My brother," He whispered. "He didn't like me very much. He- before he killed me, he said people messed him up so he would mess _me_ up. And he smashed my brains in."

My eyes blurred with tears. In a trembling voice I said, "His brother was an experiment gone wrong. He- his brother brained him."

Even Tori looked disturbed by that fact. Simon looked outraged, and Derek wore a grim look. Andrew shook his head.

I faced Tod again. "Can you make yourself better?"

I watched as his wound closed, brain sliding back into his skull. I gulped in air, trying to calm myself. "That's better." I tried to smile at him.

"Can I go now?"

He was just a kid. I didn't care if Andrew needed more information, no child should have to go through something like that. I nodded at him. "I hope you have fun, wherever you're going."

Tod flashed that gap-toothed grin. "Sure. Grandma makes me cookies, and I don't have to worry about spoiling my appetite for dinner!" He faded away.

"He's gone."

Andrew cleared his throat. "This is why the Edison Group must be stopped. Innocent children getting slaughtered by their family is certainly not acceptable. Only other supernaturals can stop this. It's the only way we'll be safe from ourselves and others."

"Thank you. Is the information you got helpful?"

"Yes. I suspected the Edison Group was a part of a larger company, but it's good to have that intelligence confirmed." That pained expression was back. "We

can't take down the whole company, but we can at least remove the New York branch. We have to."

Andrew looked at the door. "I think I'm going to try to find Kit. Sound good?"

We all agreed. Andrew rose, carefully placing his things inside his backpack. "Why don't you go to the safehouse and I'll meet you there? In two days."

We all muttered our consent. "Goodbye," We told Andrew as he left.

I looked longingly at my bed. Derek shifted his hands off me. The movement startled me, I'd forgotten we were touching. Slanting my eyes at him, I half-begged, "Can I please go to sleep?"

He nodded, shifting off the bed. "Long day for us all, especially you."

I smiled tiredly at him. "That poor kid. Both of them."

Derek shrugged. "Brady almost got me terminated, but I'm sorry he had to die like that." I lifted my eyebrows at him. Sighing, he confessed, "He tried to pick a fight with me. It was hard to resist, but I did. Come to think of it, he was shipped off not long after that and he…"

I held up a hand. I didn't want to know anything more. Crawling into bed, I murmured a quick, "Goodnight."

* * *

**(A/N)** I know this is kind of late. I've been working on some original fiction, some of which I finally posted on fictionpress. Thought I should let you guys know so you can read my work, if you're interested.

For those of you who aren't familiar with fictionpress, it's a website that is partnered with fanfiction (I think) where you can upload original work for others to see. If you're interested, go to my fanfiction profile. I've just put a link to my fictionpress profile at the bottom. I would absolutely LOVE some feedback from you guys, even if it's in an anonymous review. And yes, it is romance ;)


	31. The Stunning

We made it to the safe house with relatively good timing. Once we got there, all of us were confused about what exactly we should do.

We had been on the move for quite some time. When it came to relaxing, we were at a loss.

There was a TV. There were a few gaming systems. There were board games. There was plenty to do, and yet, none of us wanted to utilize any of the luxuries we'd missed so much.

Instead, we sat around talking. Our main topic of conversation was the Edison Group.

"Yeah," I said. "I don't understand why anyone would change children into weapons."

Derek nodded. "I understand the other half of the project. After all, it would be good if we could blend into society, just be normal."

Tori shrugged. "I'd miss my spells. I mean, sure, I get where you would have your reserves, dog boy. But me? My powers kick ass."

"Well," Simon announced tiredly. "You would say that. My powers are just normal, and honestly, they're not half as useful as yours. Parlor tricks are the only things I'm good at."

I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "I know it probably sucks to talk about, but do you know why they didn't choose you? Why were you left out of Project Genesis?"

Simon looked down. "I'm not sure. I guess we'll have to talk to my dad about it. Is it wrong that I wish I had crazy advanced powers like you guys?"

"Not wrong," I spoke carefully. "But I just want to be normal. I hate walking down the street and seeing ghosts. I hate that I can hear demons, or demi-demons, or whatever talking in my ear. I hate that I'm forced to see part of thee world that's really scary and should remain hidden."

Tori's eyes flashed. "Yeah? Do you know what I'd give to be able to talk to Liz again? You don't appreciate her at all! You're too busy feeling sorry for yourself that you lose sight of a blessing in disguise. You're so selfish, Chloe. You're just some stupid blond that's good for _nothing._"

She stood up and stalked out of the room, leaving us all speechless. Finally, Simon said quietly, "We're all just on edge. We've been without adults for such a long time and we're all getting sick of each other."

My eyes were watering, though, no matter what Simon said. For awhile, I'd thought Tori and I were doing better. I'd thought we were inching toward civilization, and maybe a bit too optimistically, I'd been hoping we could be friends.

But we both had too much to deal with, and neither of us understood the other's burdens. Tori didn't understand how much I wanted to please my father and how I couldn't do that when I was some freak. I didn't understand how she could love her powers and be reluctant about taking down the group that gave them to her.

"Chloe," Derek said softly. "I get it."

I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze. My heart constricted when I realized that we were – finally – alone since we'd kissed. "G-get what?"

Cautiously, he grabbed my hand. When I smiled at him encouragingly, he smiled back and told me gently, "Get why you don't want your powers."

"I know, Derek."

Then, he withdrew his hand quickly, leaving me blinking in confusion. He stared at me, hard, and then in a much tighter voice admitted, "I don't want mine either."

I tried to reach for his hand like he had for mine. He shifted away from me. "Why?"

My words held a double meaning. His body turned away from me, effectively hiding his face from my view. When he must have been certain I couldn't see him, he finally spoke, "Too much pressure. Too much fear."

"Fear of what?"

He shook his head. "Just too much."

"Fear of _what_?"

He sighed. "Too much fear of hurting people."

"Is this about that guy? From Lyle?"

No answer.

"Derek," This time I sighed. "Please, just talk to me."

Stiffly, he responded, "There's nothing to talk about."

We'd been doing so well. We'd _kissed_ and it was perfect. And now he was going to pull this crap on me?

First Tori, then Derek. Only Derek's rejection hurt a lot more because I care about him a lot more.

"Derek, please," I reached out for him. "I trust you."

He didn't say anything for a moment, then gently tugged on my hand and twined our fingers together. "I do care about you, Chloe, I just… I just think I have some things to deal with."

I knew the words were supposed to console me, but they stung badly. I yanked my hand away. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Chloe—"

I shook my head. "No, you're right. I thought maybe you wanted to be with me. I thought wrong, so I'll just go now."

The door was calling my name. I ignored Derek and steadfastly walked away from him, convincing myself not to cry. We were all under a lot of pressure, like Simon said, and boy drama was not something that should have been on my mind.

"Chloe, stop," He latched on to my arm.

I turned, making sure that my features conveyed thinning patience. "What?"

"I do want to be with you. I just don't think I can right now," He informed, sweeping hair away from my face. His voice dropped and he murmured, "I really want to be with you. So it sucks that I can't."

My heart was pounding in my chest. He wouldn't kiss me again. I wouldn't let him.

I pulled away from him, but I smiled. "Well, when you're ready, I will be too," I promised.

He half-smiled back at me. "Good."

My heart still wanted to break in two, but I refused to let this get to me. Derek wanted me, and I should respect that he couldn't be in a relationship.

He thought he would hurt me. He was still getting over what he'd done to that guy from Lyle, and he had a lot to deal with because of the Edison Group. The timing wasn't right, and I knew it.

I convinced myself everything would somehow manage to be okay. When I left the room, I practically barreled into Simon.

"Hey," He grinned at me, back to his old self. "So I was thinking… if your powers are getting to you, how about we go take revenge on them?"

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Zombie Slayer. You, me and the Play Station. What do you say?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, you're on! Race you there!"

He screamed that I was a cheater, but I was already blazing down the halls. The family room was my destination. I slid on my socks…

And careened into the couch, flipping over it and landing on my butt. Gasping, I managed to declare, "I win."

Simon protested, "I wasn't ready! Besides, I'm barefoot and I can't pull any of that sliding stuff like you."

"That is not my problem. Besides, you'll probably slay way more Zombies than I will."

He shrugged, not disputing the point. Simon worked at hooking up the Play Station while I hunted for some controllers. The remote was buried underneath the cough by a Twix wrapped, and the controllers were scattered this way and that.

Just as Simon and I were about to settle into our game, the front door swung open. Simon shoved me behind him and Derek came charging into the room. Simon hollered for Tori.

But there was no need to panic. Andrew walked into the house, a grim look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked immediately, sounding intensely suspicious.

Andrew said nothing. He waited for Tori, who was thundering down the steps.

We were all gathered in the family room, bracing ourselves for the worst.

And soon, it came. Andrew heaved in a deep breath and said, "It's Kit. He's dead."

**(A/N) **Gosh, this is really short :/ But I mainly wanted to clear up the status with Derek and Chloe's relationship, and I obviously needed to drop the whole "Kit's dead" bomb at the end. The next chapter will be longer!

And I'd like to say thank you to any of you who may have followed me to my fictionpress story. It really means a lot. Special shout out to _**SweetDreamzz3116**_ for your kind words and the talk about boys ;)


	32. The Mourning

Things hadn't been so tense in our group since I'd first been introduced. Tori and Simon were both in a daze, and I hadn't even seen Derek in two days. Any conversations any of us had were stilted, and after a few fumbled attempts, we all gave up and wallowed in our shock.

I think I was handling it the best out of us all, which was not surprising. I couldn't help but feel guilty when Kit's death didn't suffocate me with grief. I was sad, of course, but I knew it was nothing compared to what any of the others was feeling.

The kitchen was quiet. On all the cheesy commercials, in all the cheesy movies, it's stated that the kitchen is thee center of life in any family. We weren't a family exactly, but we were living under the same group, and I couldn't help but feel like the silence around me as I grabbed the Ritz crackers was eerie and just wrong.

I stuffed a cracker in my mouth, savoring the salty crunch. Since Kit died, I spent a lot of time eating. Maybe it was to give me something to do; maybe I was just hungrier than usual. Or maybe I was hoping that the clichéd kitchen thing would bloom to life if I sat on the bar stool long enough.

"Chloe," Andrew said from the doorway. "I wanted to discuss something with you."

I turned, stammering, "M-me? Wh-what kind of something?"

Awkwardly, he placed a hand on the island in front of me. "Well, I was thinking we could maybe have a bonfire tonight and say some words about Kit."

"Like a funeral?"

He sighed. "I wish we had the time to give him a proper funeral, but unfortunately, I'm not sure that will be possible."

"Oh," I spoke around the lump lodged in my throat, "right."

"I was hoping you could sell the idea to the others. What do you say?"

I nodded. "Sure. I'll go try to talk everyone."

I had no idea where Derek was. Truth be told, I was somewhat terrified of the idea of confronting Tori in her current state. So I set out to talk to Simon.

Standing outside his door, I took in a breath and knocked. I made sure my voice was carefully level when I said, "Simon? Can we talk?"

The door opened after a few moments. I had never seen Simon look so disheveled. His hair hung lankly in his face. There were purplish stains beneath his frighteningly empty eyes.

"Andrew was thinking we could have a bonfire in Kit's memory tonight," I told him softly, grabbing his hand in my own and squeezing.

He nodded. "Okay. I guess that would be good." His voice suggested he thought the exact opposite, but I was glad he was going along with it. "I'll talk to Tori. Derek's outside somewhere."

Without thinking, I hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Simon. I really am."

"God, I know," He said tiredly. "I'm sorry you had to go through this."

I pulled away. "I'll be fine. If you need to talk and Derek's being… well, you now how he is; you can always talk to me."

"Thanks," He said half-heartedly.

I retreated. Even Simon's seemingly unquenchable light was dimmed by his father's death. And why wouldn't it?

Stepping outside, I cupped my hands around my lips. "Derek?" I shouted. "Derek, can I talk to you?"

I waited a few minutes and got no response. Maybe his bionic hearing was shutting down out of grief? Louder, I screamed, "Derek! Derek, come on!"

He didn't respond, so I turned to go back in the house. My had was resting on the doorknob, ready to twist, when someone smacked my hand away.

I jumped around, ready to kick my offender. But it was Derek, who looked livid. "What was that for?" I demanded hotly, rubbing my stinging hand.

"You're being an idiot," He snarled. "Walking out and shouting? Do you want to die next?" He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Do you? _Do you?"_

My eyes were widening in terror, but I tried to be calm when I murmured, "You're scaring me."

The grip he had on me loosened, and his own eyes widened in horror. "I didn't—"

"It's okay," I started, "I know you're on edge after everything, but I just wanted to talk to you. Andrew thought having a bonfire for Kit tonight might be a good idea."

If Simon lacked vivaciousness, Derek's whole being was ablaze with emotions. Pain, anger, hatred, sadness, shock… they were all written on his face in an overwhelming combination.

"I guess," He muttered.

I reached for him, but he pulled away. I blinked, willing myself to be unaffected by his rejection. "Well, see you there."

"Yeah."

* * *

The fire leapt into the air, twisting and writhing constantly. It was funny that we sitting around a huge, lively flame to celebrate a death. I stared, almost mesmerized by the hues of orange and pink.

"Kit was a good man," Andrew began before launching into a speech.

I tuned him out, because suddenly, this whole thing became _real._

It was _real_ that the Edison Group was full of cold-hearted murderers. It was _real_ that they needed to be stopped. It was _real_ that if they weren't, more people might die.

And it was very, very _real_ that Kit was dead.

The man we'd been searching for this entire time no longer existed. The man who might have had some idea about how to bring down a group of crazy scientists was gone.

When I'd first agreed to go along with this crazy adventure, it was for my own safety. As the trip went on, I became more and more adamant in making my skills useful to help take down the Edison Group.

Sitting at that fire, I was beyond passionate about bringing the Edison Group down. Kit died, and who knew who might be next? It could be me, or Andrew, or one of the friends I'd come to love.

"… Goodbye, Kit. May you rest in peace," Andrew finished sadly. He twisted his hands, looking anxious. Which was to be expected, after all, one of his best friends—

A movement behind him caught my eye. An Asian man was standing, looking at Andrew murderously. He wasn't there before. He must have been a ghost.

I opened my mouth to tell the group when the man turned and looked at me. His eyes were startlingly familiar, and then I realized they looked just like Simon's.

Somehow, I must have called Kit. Maybe my thoughts were dwelling on him for too long, or maybe he was just drawn to me because I was a necromancer. I couldn't be sure.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off with a gesutre. He pointed at Andrew, and I looked at him. When my curiosity began to overwhelm me, I rissked a glance back at Kit.

He stared me down for a few moments and then he spoke, "This man killed me. Don't let him hurt my kids, don't let him hurt you."

_This man killed me. This man killed me. This man killed me._

Kit was dead, I'd already known that. I'd already known he'd been murdered. But by Andrew, his lifelong friend? The thought was revoluting and shocking, and I could feel my stomach twist violently and I had to swallow down a small amount of bile creeping in the back of my throat.

How could he? How could Andrew do something like this?

Kit wouldn't lie. I wished he was, but he wasn't. Being around Andrew wasn't safe, and I wanted nothing more than the turn for the house screaming, but even with my small amount of street smarts, I knew that wasn't a good plan.

"Chloe?" Andrew asked, tapping my shoulder. He sounded sickeningly concerned.

I wrenched out of his grasp. I bit down on screaming at him for being a murderer, a psycho murderer. Instead, I tried to muster up any acting skills I may have picked up from all those drama courses. I smiled at him tiredly, "Sure. Just exhausted, you know? I think us kids need some time alone."

He hesitated before reluctantly nodding. "Well, okay. Be careful."

_Oh, don't worry, you won't be killing anyone else in this group. _"Right."

As soon as he was gone, Derek stood. I grabbed him and breathlessly told him with wide eyes, "It was him. P-Please don't g-go, I-I... it was him. It was him."

Exasperation flickered in his eyes. "What was who?"

My hands were trembling. "Andrew. It was Andrew, he killed your dad."

There was no outburst of exclamations like I had been anticipating. Derek, Simon and Tori just stared. They must have been suffering from information overload. I waited for everything to be processed.

Derek was the one who spoke first, after a minute or so. "Are you sure? Chloe, how can you be sure about something like that?"

Andrew was a friend of the family. Derek and Simon both had conflicting emotions on their faces, and the both looked more or less disbelieving.

I hated that I had to be the one to break such terrible news to them. I swallowed and tried to find the words to convince them of Andrew's betrayal.

"He's here," I said as gently as I could. "Your father told me, just now."

Immediately, they all started looking around. Simon seemed the most frantic, whole Derek and Tori were at least trying to maintain an air of coolness.

Kit was smiling wistfully at his children. "Tell them I miss them all."

"He misses you guys."

Tori's eyes actually filled with tears, but she blinked them away. "I didn't know him well, but I wish I did. He must have been such a good man, so much better than my excuse for a mother."

"I miss him more than anything," Simon said.

Derek just grunted in agreement.

Their father was pacing, insubstantial feet not denting the grass. "Tell them to be careful and not to trust Andrew. Ever."

"We can't trust Andrew. Your dad says we have to be careful."

Derek's shoulders tensed. "Yeah," He commented tiredly, "Guess so."

"What do we do?" Tori's voice was barbed. "What do we do now? Our only hope was to find dad and he's _dead_. Our backup plan was dad's _murderer. _What the _hell_ do we _do?"_

Derek looked right at her. "We take down the Edison Group on our own. That's what we do.'

"Derek," Kit roared. "You're being crazy! Andrew killed me. You can't trust him, you can't do this alone. What are you thinking?"

I tried to think of a way to edit that down. In the end, I just said, "Kit thinks it's a bad idea."

"I don't care," Derek snarled. "We have to. We have to do it for Dad, so he didn't die for nothing."

I touched his arm. "I don't know, it's really dangerous—"

"I know. But I don't care."

He left. He didn't walk away like he usually did, he turned and ran away. To my surprise, his figure blurred for a moment before fur sprouted and he loped away in wolf form. He disappeared from my sight quickly.

"He's not thinking rationally," I told Simon and Tori, feeling a tiny bit of panic flood me.

"Damn right," Kit spoke up. "You guys can't take down the Edison Group. It's not that I won't let you, I just don't think you can. You're just kids up against violent psychopaths."

I sighed, closing my eyes to think. It was odd knowing I was finally the one who was in control in our group. No one else was capable of logic at the moment, so the job rested on my tiny shoulders.

"But don't you see," I said softly, reaching an epiphany. "That's why we have to take down the Edison Group. If we don't, more people will get hurt. We have to stop them, or we have to die trying."

Simon and Tori both looked startled. I was kind of surprised, too. It wasn't like me to be so bold, but something about me was different since I'd started the journey. I was much more grown up, much more secure in the real Chloe.

"But… what's your name?" Kit asked me, brow furrowing.

I smiled. "Chloe Saunders, teen necromancer at your service."

"Chloe, I understand, but it's just not safe."

I channeled my inner Tori and snapped, "Right, hence the 'or die trying' part."

"Go talk to Derek," He replied. "If you can come up with a plan, I'll help you. If not, you guys quit. Sound good?"

It wasn't a bad offer. With Kit's help, we could go far and do so much more than what we could do without Kit. I nodded. "Yes."

Then I stormed into the forest, feeling my confidence shake at the prospect of confronting a shock and grief ridden Derek.

* * *

**(A/N) **I know it's kind of late, and I'm sorry. I also know this may be kind of stilted; I really need to re-read the Darkest Powers books to get in synch with Chloe's narrative again, but I have my reasons for not doing so.


	33. The Soothing

"Derek!"

His name echoed throughout the forest. A couple of butterflies fluttered in front of me, but I swatted them away. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted again, "Derek!"

I stumbled through undergrowth and tree branches. He had to be in here somewhere, and he had to be able to hear me. I wasn't an idiot, I knew he was ignoring me. But I didn't want to be ignored, I wanted to be _heard._

"I know you can hear me! I'm not going away, Derek. I'll just sit right here, and you can come to me. I'm not leaving this spot."

It was clear Derek would not be visiting anytime soon, though I was sure he could smell me and knew I was serious. That was fine. I knew Derek, and I knew he would come to me eventually if only out of worry for me. I could wait.

Scenes of a movie played out in front of my mind. A short blond girl was waiting for her friend to show up. She was starting to become concerned and bit down on a plump lip, kneading until she tasted blood. She whistled under her breath – no, she _hummed_, the song "Daydream Believer" an old favorite of hers.

It was something I'd always loved to do. I adored picturing other people in the same situations I lived. It was much easier to draw from my own experiences and feelings to create something spectacular, and it soothed any worries I had about my own life because sometimes I could pretend it wasn't my life, it was someone else's.

So it wasn't me who was waiting for Derek. It was Kelsey. It wasn't me who worried about trivial things, like when Derek would like me – it was Kelsey who felt that longing and confusion. It wasn't me who was noticing the sun sinking lower along with my spirits – that was Kelsey, too.

I crunched a leaf between my fingers, wanting to leave but knowing I couldn't. Derek was waiting for the moment when I left, but he needed to talk. Or maybe I kind of needed it.

Something nudged my back. I stifled a screech and turned, falling a bit but catching myself on the large wolf behind me. Derek let out an exasperated snort and steadied me. The look in his eyes was easy to interpret.

_Very smooth,_ He seemed to say, _if that was a real attacker, what would you do?_

"Derek," I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "You startled me, that's all. Stupid padded feet."

He looked at me solemnly. Any sort of good humor was gone, and now he just regarded me like he wanted me gone. I wasn't leaving. I told him as much.

He nudged me again. His muzzle pointed in the direction that must have led to the house. I shrugged, and said, "I'm lost. I don't think I can get back on my own. Looks like you're stuck with me, unless you're ready to go back?"

He stared at me.

"Don't. I know you won't let me go back. Like I said, you're stuck with me."

Derek growled, the sound natural and familiar. Surprised, I laughed. "It's just," I explained when he glared at me, "you sound like you. You know, human you."

"I know," I murmured, "I shouldn't be laughing when we're all so sad."

This time, Derek whimpered. His bright, beautiful eyes turned soulful and the term "puppy-dog eyes" took on a whole new meaning for me. Something in me tugged and wrenched.

I stretched out a hand and placed my fingers behind his ears. I stroked the soft fur on his skull. It took a moment, but slowly, he relaxed. His wolf legs bent and he was laying next to me, his head in my lap. I continued petting him, the action soothing us both.

"It's okay to be upset. You should be, but it's not good for you to—to act like this. You have to still be you, just a you in pain."

He didn't give any indication that he understood. I sighed. "Look," I said, "I know that doesn't make sense, but Derek we need to talk."

Derek stiffened underneath my hand. I leaned over him and wrapped my arms around his warm body. I buried my head in the spot where his head met his neck, and I was amazed at how the spot was so perfectly in reach, just like his human form.

I could feel a tear trickling out of my eye. My voice was muffled, but I managed to get out, "I'm so sorry about him. I am so, so sorry."

He shifted, and I leaned away, ready to apologize again when he nuzzled my cheek. The action was so natural and tender. I caught the side of his face. I kissed what would have been his cheek if he were a human.

I wasn't a bold person. In fact, I was very meek. But somehow, I found Derek as a gigantic wolf much less intimidating than him as a human.

He wasn't ready to be with me. That was fine, but right then, he needed me. I ran my fingers along his jaw, sighing softly.

He shuddered. Derek turned away to look at me, an accusing warning. He glanced in another direction, then back at me. He moved away, eyes still on me.

"I won't move."

He nodded. Then, he ran away, an impossibly fast blur of motion.

He was hurting, and it hurt me to see him so sad. His dad died. I knew what it was like, losing a parent, and I had moved on. I still missed my mom, but I was okay, and now I had to make sure Derek would someday be alright.

"You shouldn't be out here," He rumbled a moment later. Derek settled near me, his arm brushing up against me.

I shrugged. I knew we should be on other topics, but I let him go with what was comfortable for him. "You're here. I'm safe."

"My dad wasn't safe."

His grief was palpable. I touched his hand, and when he didn't move, I wrapped my short fingers around his long ones. I squeezed gently and said, "It wasn't your fault."

"I should have been there!"

"You were with me, Derek."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter where I was, I should have been there."

"You were watching out for me," I protested, not for my sake, but for his, though what he said did hurt. "You were keeping me safe."

"But I wasn't keeping him safe."

I snatched my hand back and twiddled my thumbs. "Fine, then look at this way: you were doing what he wanted you to do. You were looking for me so you could use me to bring down the Edison Group, which is your goal now, right?"

"It is the goal, it always was, but I shouldn't have been with you I should have been with him! You don't matter with him gone, he's my – was my _dad_."

I flinched. I could feel a hot flush spreading throughout my body, and one thought passed through my mind: _But what if _I _was gone? Would you even care?_

"Since I don't matter that much," I said softly, "as a necromancer or as a person, maybe you're right. Maybe you should have been with your dad."

Guilt and understanding darkened his face, but I ignored him saying my name. "But it's done, now. Derek, it's done. There's nothing you can do about the fact that he's gone! He would want you doing everything you can to get through the pain and stop anyone else from hurting like this. He'd want you to bring down the Edison Group. He wouldn't want you to be moping, he'd want you to be-to be proactive."

Nothing was said by either of us, and I refused to think about what he said. I couldn't think about it because it was stupid to be so offended by something like that when I was dealing with someone who lost a parent.

"We will bring them down," He vowed, "we will. I'll die before I let them get away with what they did."

"Stay on task," I urged. "It's good that you still have ambition. When my mom died, I just shut down for awhile. I didn't eat unless someone spoon-fed me. I just slept all day, or doodled movie scenes about dead parents."

Derek didn't know what to say. I recognized the look a lot, that pensive, "how am I supposed to react to _that_" glance I got tossed my way whenever I mentioned my mother. Eventually, he told me, "I'm sorry she hurt you."

"She didn't hurt me! She died. The drunk driver hurt me."

His jaw set. "She died and it changed you. You're over it now, or as over it as you can be, but I know I'll never be the same because this sucks to bad, and I know you haven't been the same since it happened. She did hurt you because you got close to her. And I'm sorry for that."

"I'm not. I'm glad I loved my mom. She was worth my love. I'd rather lose a mom I could be proud of than have someone like Tori's mother in my life."

The idea of the crazy woman being my mom caused me to shudder. She was an awful person whereas my mother was always kind and gentle. I was honored to say I had a deceased, beautiful mother than an alive, insane one.

I traced a line in the grass by my leg. I drew a star then a heart. The grass bent beneath my fingertips before springing up again, ready for more pictures to be drawn. "You know," I said, "it gets easier. It never really gets better, but it gets easier."

"Forgive me, but I find that hard to believe."

"I understand."

"Chloe?"

"Yes?"

He hesitated. Finally, he murmured, "Sorry."

"You said that."

"Not for that."

"Then for what?"

Derek leaned against me, and I in turn leaned against him. "You are important to me. I just… didn't know what I was saying."

I smiled up at him. He looked so concerned, I couldn't hold in a small laugh. "We both know you're not the best with words, Derek."

"Yeah," He said, a mixture of relief and bashfulness. "And thanks."

"For?"

"Talking to me about this. I know a lot of people wouldn't have bothered," He didn't say it begrudgingly, just like it was a fact.

That made me sad. If he really thought people didn't care about him and that was okay, it was a problem with me. "A lot of people _should_ bother."

"Whatever you say. Wanna go make some hot chocolate?"

I couldn't be sure if he was changing the subject or not, but something as mundane as making hot chocolate sounded nice. Plus, we had to make sure Andrew didn't suspect anything from us.

Standing, I brushed the seat of my jeans. "That sounds great."

* * *

**(A/N) **It has been forever. For what it's worth, I've started school and volunteering so I have to divide my writing time carefully and this kind of fell on the wayside. My apologies.


End file.
